ESPN Analyst Disrespects Ravens QB Lamar Jackson

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was part of the most bizarre rankings you'll ever see.

Jan 20, 2024; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs the ball to score a touchdown against Houston Texans defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (98) and defensive tackle Khalil Davis (94) during the fourth quarter of a 2024 AFC divisional round game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Fresh off his second MVP season, Baltimore Ravens superstar Lamar Jackson is pretty much unanimously considered to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league. There is a small group of analysts who push back on that claim, but most agree that Jackson's one of the finest in the game.

Every now and then, though, you see a ranking that's so bizarre that you just have to shake your head in disbelief. The latest example of such a ranking comes to us courtesy of ESPN's Mike Greenberg, and isn't even crazy due to Jackson's placement.

On a recent episode of his morning talk show "Get Up," Greenberg assembled a three-tiered quarterback pyramid. The ranking featured Jackson, C.J. Stroud and Jordan Love in the bottom tier, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen in the middle tier, and Aaron Rodgers all by himself in the top tier.

On his pyramid of NFL QBs, Mike Greenberg put Lamar Jackson in his 3rd-tier with C.J. Stroud and Jordan Love

Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen make up the 2nd tier, with Aaron Rodgers as the lone QB at the top

Joe Burrow was left off of the list pic.twitter.com/L79LldSw1B

— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) July 16, 2024

There are so many things wrong with this, even considering that Greenberg is an unapologetic New York Jets fan. However, the look on Dan Orlovsky and Booger McFarland's faces there really says it all.

For Jackson, his placement at No. 4 isn't the problem, it's who he's ranked alongside. No disrespect to Stroud and Love, but they've had one year of starting experience each, compared to Jackson who has five and a half seasons as a starter and two MVPs to boot.

Then there's the elephant in the room, Rodgers' place atop the pyramid. Rodgers is an extremely accomplished quarterback, but even the most biased Jets fan on the planet cannot seriously believe that a 40-year-old coming off a torn Achilles is the best quarterback in the league.

And therein lies the problem, Greenberg didn't create this pyramid as an objective ranking, but as a subjective one meant to drive engagement.

If we're being objective, Mahomes deserves to be in a tier all his own, as he's already a two-time MVP and three-time Super Bowl champion at only 28 years old. After that is a tier with Jackson, Allen and Joe Burrow (who is conspicuously absent from this list), with the order being interchangeable. Then there's a tier with Stroud, Love, Justin Herbert, Matthew Stafford and potentially others, with the order once again being interchangeable.

Really, almost any ranking would be better than this one.

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