Josh Allen secured a playoff victory over Lamar Jackson and has now outshined the Baltimore Ravens quarterback in another way.
At the NFL Honors ceremony in New Orleans on Thursday, the Buffalo Bills quarterback was named the 2024 NFL Most Valuable Player. Allen earned 27 first-place votes, while Jackson claimed the remaining 23.
This marks Allen’s first MVP win after previously finishing as the runner-up to Aaron Rodgers in 2020, third in 2022, and fifth in 2023. He joins O.J. Simpson (1973) and Thurman Thomas (1991) as the third Bills player to receive the honor.
Notably, Allen became the first player since John Elway in 1987 to win MVP without being named a first-team All-Pro. Jackson earned that distinction, leaving Allen with second-team recognition. The last time a second-team All-Pro won MVP was in 2003 when Steve McNair shared the award with Peyton Manning.
Allen admitted he was surprised by the outcome.
“Yeah, I was pretty surprised,” Allen said. “Given how voting usually goes, Lamar was very deserving of this award as well. I have nothing but love and respect for him and his game.”
In his seventh season, Allen passed for 3,731 yards and 28 touchdowns while throwing a career-low six interceptions. He also contributed 531 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground.
Despite an offseason of change that saw Buffalo move on from key targets like Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, Allen led the Bills to a 13-4 record and the AFC’s No. 2 seed. Buffalo defeated the Denver Broncos in the wild-card round and narrowly got past the Ravens in the divisional round before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
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