Somehow, some way, voters believe 68 players are better than Lamar Jackson, and Ravens fans are beside themselves. Having ranked second on the NFL Top 100 Players List a year ago, he dropped all the way to 69. That appears to be a reflection of his play last season, which was severely compromised by injury.
If one were to project how Jackson would play in 2026, however, that would seem deeply unfair. Obviously, he struggled last season, unable to move much in some games. But there’s no reason to believe he would be more injured going into this season than any other. And even for Steelers fans, it’s hard to believe there being literally dozens and dozens of better players.
And the responses, not just from Ravens fans, to Lamar Jackson’s low rating are hardly surprising. Some argue that the list destroyed its credibility because of that, though its credibility was always dubious at best. You have some high-profile players suggest that players really do take it seriously when they vote. But even if that were true for many, how many of them really know the league’s rosters well enough?
Of course, only a small percent of people actually take these things seriously. Other fans ignore it entirely or laugh it off, which is the appropriate response. The idea that Lamar Jackson is only the 69th-best player in the NFL going into 2026 is absurd for anybody who understands the game and has no intruding bias.
Lamar Jackson is a two-time NFL MVP, and many would argue he should have won three times. When healthy, he is certainly the most dynamic player in the league. While he had to develop into more of a passer during his career, he successfully achieved that. Jackson has led the NFL in passing touchdowns, and has reached as high as 41 in a season—which would be a Steelers record. With the highest quarterback rating in NFL history, there is obviously recency bias at play here.
Last season, Jackson finished the season 6-7 as the starter of record. He went 192-for-302 passing for 2,549 yard with 21 touchdowns to 7 interceptions, rushing for 349 yards and 2 touchdowns with 7 fumbles. Statistically, he was very far from his peak. But he was also physically far from it.
Jackson suffered his first significant injury of the season in Week 4 and never played a healthy down after that. he missed several games but tried to tough out the remainder of the season before sitting out Week 17. He returned in Week 18 and put the Ravens in the position to beat the Steelers with a walk-off, division-clinching field goal, only to have his rookie kicker miss.
With a new coaching staff, Lamar Jackson will have the opportunity to reintroduce himself, which is apparently now needed. Provided he’s healthy, he is a perennial MVP candidate. Somehow Joe Burrow doesn’t seem to face as much skepticism regarding his own lack of durability.
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