Bullet point summary by AI
- A two-time MVP saw his ranking plummet in the latest player survey, sparking outrage among analysts and fans.
- Critics argue the drop ignores both the player’s historic achievements and the circumstances affecting his recent performance.
- The debate now centers on whether this perceived slight will fuel a championship-caliber response or deepen existing frustrations.
If NFL players were looking to motivate Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens into igniting a breakthrough season, they certainly found the right bulletin board material. Somehow, the league thinks the two-time MVP was so bad in 2025 he deserved to drop from the second-best player to the 69th-best. Not nice.
The annual player rankings have begun to be revealed, and on Monday fans and pundits were shocked to see Jackson’s name appear so early on the list. The plummet suffered by the 29-year-old entering his ninth season was viewed as plain disrespectful.
“Outside of Patrick Mahomes, there is no more accomplished quarterback in the entire NFL {than Lamar Jackson]”@Realrclark25 gives his thoughts on Lamar Jackson dropping to No. 69 on the “NFL Top 100” list 👀 pic.twitter.com/3ofk7ES994
— First Take (@FirstTake) July 14, 2026
“Outside of Patrick Mahomes there is no more accomplished quarterback in the entire NFL [than Jackson,]” ESPN’s Ryan Clark said on First Take Tuesday. “There’s no quarterback who’s asked to do more than Jackson … It’s not just disrespectful, it’s almost stupid.”
Lamar Jackson slander must end, but Ravens have much to prove
It’s embarrassing for NFL players to think Jackson — whose 2025 campaign consisted of time missed for injury and lower-than-usual stat totals due to a lackluster receiving corps — has dropped an entire tier of excellence. The guy put up arguably one of the best QB seasons in league history in 2024 and was unconscionably beat out by Josh Allen for the MVP award. Jackson shouldn’t be punished for an image issue manufactured by haters.
There’s two ways you have to view Jackson’s situation. First, he’s an elite quarterback who would turn any team into a contender. Second, what those teams do around him shouldn’t impact his status as one of the league’s top players.
Baltimore has failed to capitalize on Jackson’s talent, which is why after eight seasons of not reaching the Super Bowl, head coach John Harbaugh was shown the door. Granted, Jackson bears the responsibility of leading the team to success, but a 67-spot drop is beyond overkill in sending the message that he’s got to win to keep his rank.
That being said, how come Allen isn’t punished the same way? How come Joe Burrow isn’t either? Allen has failed to reach the Big Game just as many times as Jackson, and Burrow has missed more time for injury, but they each get the benefit of the doubt year after year.
You can’t rank some players based on potential and others by ignoring their body of work. Jackson’s got a medical excuse for his reduced stats and a roster that has not stepped up to meet his level. Baltimore can only rely on he and Derrick Henry to carry the team for so long. If Jackson has nobody to throw to, he’s not going to air it out and force turnovers.
If players don’t want to give him his flowers, they better be prepared to back up their assumptions he’s going to be easy to beat. When they lose, they better be meeting him at midfield with bouquets and apologies.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
