ExtremeRavens Posted 19 hours ago Posted 19 hours ago The Associated Press surveyed eight of its pro football writers ahead of the 2025 NFL season, and the group apparently wants to see more in the postseason from Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. The annual survey asked writers to rank the top five players at several positions, including quarterback. Not only did Jackson, a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player, fall short of earning the top spot, but he wasn’t ranked second or third, either. Instead, Jackson ranked fourth. He came in behind the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes, the Bills’ Josh and the Bengals’ Joe Burrow. Yes, Jackson was ranked as the second-best quarterback in his own division. The Eagles’ Jalen Hurts checked in at No. 5, meaning quarterbacks such as the Commanders’ Jayden Daniels, the Rams’ Matthew Stafford and the Lions’ Jared Goff all missed the cut. No. 1, Patrick Mahomes No. 2, Josh Allen No. 3, Joe Burrow No. 4, Lamar Jackson No. 5, Jalen Hurts Of course, the survey doesn’t mean much — other than maybe bragging rights among fan bases. The league’s elite quarterbacks care much more about ending the season as a Super Bowl champion, and it was Hurts who won last year’s title. Allen, Burrow and Jackson have never won championships, while Mahomes and Hurts both have rings. It’s possible Jackson and the Ravens get over the proverbial hump in 2025, with sportsbooks considering Baltimore a favorite to win the Super Bowl. This past season, Jackson eclipsed 5,000 total yards, throwing 41 touchdown passes compared with only four interceptions. He finished runner-up to Allen in AP NFL MVP voting, and the Ravens were knocked out of the playoffs in the divisional round by Allen’s Bills. The AP summary of why Jackson checked in at No. 4 cited his lack of postseason success: “Jackson is coming off his third All-Pro season and the best all-around year of his career. He threw for 4,172 yards, 41 TDs and only four interceptions, and led the NFL with a 119.6 passer rating. He also ran for 915 yards and four scores. But Jackson and the Ravens fell short in the playoffs again, losing to the Bills in the divisional round. Jackson got one second-place vote, four thirds, two fourths and one fifth.” ESPN ran a similar poll, although it anonymously polled league personnel rather than media members. Just like the AP survey, Jackson checked in at No. 4 behind the same three quarterbacks. ESPN NFL analyst Damien Woody was surprised by Jackson’s ranking. “You’ve got the two-time league MVP at No. 4,” Woody said. “That’s about the damndest thing that I’ve seen. You talk about a guy in Lamar Jackson, arguably the most dangerous quarterback that we have in our game. A guy who’s improved every year as a passer, and he’s sitting at No. 4. It just goes to show the strength that we have in our league at the quarterback position.” ESPN’s ranking extended through the top 10 NFL quarterbacks, rather than just top five: Patrick Mahomes Josh Allen Joe Burrow Lamar Jackson Jayden Daniels Matthew Stafford Justin Herbert Jared Goff Jalen Hurts Baker Mayfield The AP also revealed its voting for the NFL’s top five running backs this week, and Baltimore’s Derrick Henry checked in at No. 2. Only Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley ranked higher. The Lions’ Jahmyr Gibbs, the Falcons’ Bijan Robinson and the 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey rounded out the top five. No. 1, Saquon Barkley No. 2, Derrick Henry No. 3, Jahmyr Gibbs No. 4, Bijan Robinson No. 5, Christian McCaffrey In his first season in Baltimore, Henry rushed for 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns in the regular season. The physical runner added 270 yards and three rushing touchdowns in a pair of playoff games, nearly giving the Ravens enough of a postseason boost to reach the Super Bowl. His Herculean efforts didn’t result in a Lombardi Trophy, but they did earn him a contract extension. Jackson might be next in line for a new deal. The Ravens are hopeful the tandem can remain productive in Baltimore for the foreseeable future and lead them to their first Super Bowl victory since 2013. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin. View the full article Quote
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