According to at least one respondent in ESPN's annual quarterback survey of executives, coaches, and scouts, the answer is no.Fox Sports Radio host Colin Cowherd agrees."I no longer trust Lamar Jackson in a big spot.
I'm selling my stock...I'd take Bo Nix today in a fourth-quarter, come-from-behind situation over Lamar," Cowherd said Tuesday.SOPHIE CUNNINGHAM IS THE OPPOSITE OF MOST WNBA PLAYERS.
AND THAT'S WHY SHE IS A MEGASTARCowherd then ranked his top 10 quarterbacks:Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson reacts as he runs off the field after an NFL game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Nov.25, 2024.
(Michael Owens/Getty Images)On the surface, leaving Jackson outside the top 10 sounds like a form of rage-bait.While arguments that Jackson was on the same level as Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes often felt more like culture-war debates than football analysis, Jackson has been one of the league's premier quarterbacks over the past seven seasons.He won two league MVP awards during that span.Given his previous regular-season dominance, Jackson's MVP odds this year are rightfully higher than most of the quarterbacks Cowherd ranked ahead of him.That said, there is a valid counterargument.
Though Jackson's ceiling remains among the highest in football, his floor may no longer be.For one, he was not one of the 10 best quarterbacks last season.In 13 starts, Jackson averaged just 196.1 passing yards per game, fewer than Michael Penix Jr.and Geno Smith.
Projected over 17 games, his 21 touchdown passes would have been roughly league average.He also wasn't the same rushing threat, finishing with just 349 rushing yards and two touchdowns.By virtually every measure, Jackson was far less dynamic than he had been for most of his career.Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens runs for a touchdown during the third quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
(Tim Warner/Getty Images)Perhaps injuries played a ro...