It finally happened. After years of being the "always a bridesmaid" guy in the Buffalo Bills uniform, Josh Allen climbed the mountain. If you were looking for who was MVP NFL 2024, the search ends in Western New York. On February 6, 2025, at the NFL Honors in New Orleans, Allen walked away with the hardware, beating out Lamar Jackson in one of those "too close to call" races that had Twitter in a total meltdown for weeks.
Honestly, it felt like a long time coming.
The voting was tight. Like, razor-thin tight. Allen finished with 383 points and 27 first-place votes. Lamar, the 2023 winner, was right on his heels with 362 points and 23 first-place votes. It was a classic "stats vs. value" debate that divided the league’s 50 voters right down the middle.
Why Josh Allen Won the 2024 NFL MVP
So, how did he pull it off? Usually, the MVP goes to the guy with the most "video game" stats on the best team. But 2024 was weird. See, Lamar Jackson actually had better traditional numbers in a lot of spots. He was the First-Team All-Pro quarterback, which usually means the MVP trophy is a formality.
But the voters went rogue. Or maybe they just got smarter?
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Allen’s case wasn't just about the box score; it was about the "carry job." Everyone thought the Bills were going to take a massive step back after they shipped Stefon Diggs off to Houston and let Gabe Davis walk to Jacksonville. People were calling it a "soft rebuild."
Instead, Allen went out there and turned the Bills into a 13-4 juggernaut. He became the first player in the history of the sport to put up 25-plus passing touchdowns and 10-plus rushing touchdowns in five straight seasons. That’s not just a good year; that’s a historic level of consistency that finally became impossible to ignore.
The Numbers That Mattered
If you’re a stats person, here’s why the "Josh Allen was MVP NFL 2024" argument actually held up under the microscope:
- Total Touchdowns: He accounted for 41 total scores. That’s 28 through the air, 12 on the ground, and—get this—he even caught a receiving touchdown.
- The "Mistake" Factor: For years, the knock on Allen was the turnovers. In 2024, he flipped the script. He threw a career-low 6 interceptions. He was playing "surgical" football while still maintaining that "truck-a-linebacker" energy we love.
- Sack Avoidance: He only took 14 sacks all year. Behind a revamped line, his pocket presence was basically Jedi-level.
Lamar Jackson fans will point out that he threw for 4,172 yards and ran for 915, becoming the first player ever to hit the 4k/800 club. And yeah, that's insane. But the narrative favored Buffalo. Winning the AFC East by Week 13? That’s unheard of in the modern NFL.
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The Drama Behind the Vote
It’s actually kinda crazy when you look at how the awards shook out. Usually, the MVP and the First-Team All-Pro QB are the same person. Not this time. Lamar got the All-Pro nod, but Allen got the MVP.
This hasn't happened since 2012 when Adrian Peterson won MVP while Peyton Manning was the All-Pro QB. It shows that the voters started looking at the "Valuable" part of Most Valuable Player. Without Allen, were the Bills even a playoff team? Probably not. Without Lamar, the Ravens—who have a terrifying defense and a great run game—might still have been okay.
That’s the logic, anyway.
Who Else Was in the Mix?
While it was a two-horse race at the top, a few other names popped up in the voting.
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- Saquon Barkley: The dude was a monster for the Eagles. He ended up winning Offensive Player of the Year after leading the league in rushing. He finished third in MVP voting with 120 points.
- Joe Burrow: "Joe Cool" came back from that wrist injury and looked like his old self. He led the league with 43 passing touchdowns and snagged the Comeback Player of the Year award.
- Jared Goff: The Lions were the darlings of the NFC, and Goff was the steady hand. He didn't have the "wow" plays of Allen or Lamar, but he was efficient as hell.
What This Means for the Future
Allen winning the MVP at age 28 puts him in rarefied air. He’s now joined the ranks of the elite who have the individual hardware to match their talent. The big question, obviously, is the Super Bowl. He’s won the MVP, he’s won the division, but he’s still got that Patrick Mahomes-sized hurdle in the playoffs.
Actually, the Bills ended up losing to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship again. It’s a bit of a "bittersweet" ending for Buffalo fans, but you can’t take away the trophy. Allen proved he could lead a team with basically no "superstar" receivers and still dominate the league.
Actionable Takeaways for NFL Fans
If you're following the MVP race for next season or just trying to win your local bar debate, keep these things in mind:
- Narrative is King: Stats get you in the door, but "doing more with less" is what wins over the 50 AP voters.
- Turnovers Kill MVP Bids: If Allen had thrown his usual 15-18 picks, Lamar would be a three-time MVP right now.
- December Matters: The Bills clinching early and Allen staying clean in the cold weather basically sealed the deal before the playoffs even started.
So, when people ask who was MVP NFL 2024, tell them it was the kid from Firebaugh who finally stopped throwing interceptions and started winning over the voters' hearts. Josh Allen finally got his flowers.