Lamar Jackson & Josh Allen Lead List Of Five NFL MVP Award Finalists – Who Has The Best Case To Win?

Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Jared Goff and Saquon Barkley have been named as finalists for the NFL MVP Award. As high-performing quarterbacks on top AFC teams this season, Jackson and Allen will likely vie for the top spot, but Barkley’s 2,000-yard rushing season has put him squarely in the conversation.

Burrow and Goff deserve consideration as finalists, but there are serious obstacles barring them from winning the award. Burrow arguably had the best season of his career, carrying a mediocre Bengals team, but only two players in NFL history have won MVP while missing the playoffs. Goff, on the other hand, successfully led an exciting Lions offense from the pocket, but the team benefitted from a run-heavy scheme.

There was a period in 2024 when it seemed inevitable that Allen would win the award. In Weeks 14 and 15 against the Rams and Lions, the Bills quarterback had two monster games in a row, scoring five times through the air and five times on the ground. Buffalo scored 90 combined points in that span.

Carrying his team through the air and on the ground, many were ready to coronate Allen on the spot. But this moment of clarity dissipated nearly as soon as it arrived, as Jackson began a torrid stretch of his own to end the season. The Ravens quarterback and reigning MVP scored 13 combined touchdowns in the final four games, finishing the regular season with 41 passing scores and just four interceptions, along with 915 rushing yards and another four rushing touchdowns. 

While these two passers dueled in the AFC, culminating in a 27-25 Bills victory in the AFC Divisional Round, Barkley was making his own MVP case as a running back in the NFC. In his first season with the Eagles, he helped bring the team back into Super Bowl contention, rushing for 2,005 yards. Becoming the ninth rusher in NFL history to join the 2,000-yard club earned him a spot as an MVP finalist.

The playoffs don’t have any bearing on the MVP race, but all three players were integral in their teams’ success in the regular season. The Bills and Eagles are in their respective conference championship games this weekend, while the Ravens were eliminated by Buffalo in the most competitive game of the divisional round. 

From a statistical standpoint, all three were overwhelmingly valuable to their teams. Despite already winning two MVPs, Jackson had the best season of his career. Allen’s year, in comparison to previous performances, is more arguable, but it is one of his best in terms of both passing and rushing production. Meanwhile, Barkley took full advantage of a new situation in Philadelphia, proving the value of an entire position at a time when running backs are being undervalued. All three are deserving of the award in one of the most competitive races in recent memory.