Honestly, the 2024 NFL MVP race was a mess. Not the "bad football" kind of mess, but the "how on earth do we actually define value" kind of mess. If you're looking for the short answer to who won the MVP in the NFL, it was Josh Allen. The Buffalo Bills quarterback finally climbed the mountain at the 2025 NFL Honors, edging out the reigning champ, Lamar Jackson, in what turned out to be the tightest voting window we've seen since 2016.
It was wild.
Think about it. We had Lamar Jackson putting up stats that were actually better than his 2023 MVP campaign. We had Saquon Barkley rushing for over 2,000 yards in Philadelphia, looking like a human highlight reel every Sunday. Yet, when the envelopes were opened in New Orleans, Allen was the one standing at the podium. He grabbed 27 first-place votes to Jackson’s 23. That’s it. Four votes separated them.
The Josh Allen vs. Lamar Jackson Statistical Rabbit Hole
If you just look at a spreadsheet, you’re going to be confused. I’m serious. Lamar Jackson led the league with a 119.6 passer rating—the fourth-highest in the history of the sport. He threw for 4,172 yards and ran for another 915. He was literally the first player ever to go 4,000/800 in a single season.
So why did Allen win?
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Basically, the voters fell in love with the "do more with less" narrative. Remember, before the season started, everyone was burying the Bills. They traded Stefon Diggs. They let Gabe Davis walk. People were calling it a "soft rebuild" or a transition year. Instead, Allen dragged that roster to a 13-4 record and an AFC East title.
Allen’s raw passing numbers—3,731 yards and 28 touchdowns—don't scream "MVP" in a vacuum. But he cut his interceptions down to a career-low six. He also bullied his way into the end zone for 12 rushing touchdowns. He even caught a touchdown pass in a snowstorm against the 49ers. It was those "MVP moments" that stuck in the voters' brains when it came time to submit the ballots.
Breaking Down the 2024 Voting Points
- Josh Allen (Bills): 383 total points (27 first-place votes)
- Lamar Jackson (Ravens): 362 total points (23 first-place votes)
- Saquon Barkley (Eagles): 120 total points
- Joe Burrow (Bengals): 82 total points
- Jared Goff (Lions): 47 total points
It's actually kind of rare to see the First-Team All-Pro quarterback not win the MVP. Lamar got the All-Pro nod from the same group of voters, but when they sat down to decide who was "most valuable," they flipped to Allen. It’s the first time that’s happened since 2012 when Adrian Peterson beat out Peyton Manning for the trophy.
Why Saquon Barkley Almost Broke the Quarterback Streak
For a minute there in November, it felt like Saquon was going to do the impossible. He finished with 2,005 rushing yards. He was the engine for an Eagles team that looked unstoppable for large stretches of the year. He even won the AP Offensive Player of the Year award, which is usually the "consolation prize" for the best non-QB in the league.
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But the NFL is a quarterback's league. Plain and simple.
Voters have this unofficial rule: if a quarterback is elite and his team wins 12 or 13 games, he wins the MVP. Barkley had 11 games with over 100 yards. He had four runs of 60+ yards. It was a legendary season, yet he still only finished third. It tells you everything you need to know about the current state of the award. Unless a running back breaks the all-time scrimmage record or a QB doesn't stand out, the trophy is staying under center.
The Narrative Factor: "Doing More With Less"
We have to talk about the "supporting cast" argument because it’s why Lamar lost. Lamar had Derrick Henry. Henry was a beast, averaging 5.9 yards per carry. Critics (and some voters) argued that Henry’s presence made Lamar’s life too easy.
Meanwhile, Allen’s top receivers were Khalil Shakir and a rookie, Keon Coleman. Sure, they traded for Amari Cooper halfway through, but the perception was that without Josh Allen, the Bills would have been a 6-win team. That "carrying the team" vibe is like catnip for AP voters.
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Key Milestones from the 2024 Season
- Josh Allen joined Aaron Rodgers as the only players with 40+ total touchdowns in five different seasons.
- Lamar Jackson became the all-time leader in career rushing yards for a quarterback.
- The Buffalo Bills clinched their division in Week 13, the earliest anyone has done it since the 2009 Colts.
What This Means for Next Season
If you're looking at the landscape for the 2025-2026 season, the bar has been moved. We are seeing a shift away from pure volume stats. You don't need 5,000 yards to win anymore. You need efficiency, and you need to be the undisputed reason your team is winning.
Keep an eye on the young guys. Drake Maye and Jordan Love are already starting to eat into the vote share. But as long as Allen, Jackson, and Mahomes are healthy, the path to the MVP goes through them.
To really understand the "value" in the MVP, start looking at EPA (Expected Points Added) and success rates under pressure rather than just total touchdowns. That’s where the voters are moving. If you want to track the current frontrunners for the upcoming season, check the weekly All-Pro projections around mid-November; that’s usually when the narrative starts to harden into a winner.
Practical Next Steps for NFL Fans:
- Watch the "NFL Honors" Replay: If you missed Josh Allen's speech, find the clip. It gives a lot of insight into the "team-first" mentality that swayed the voters.
- Monitor 2025 Betting Lines: MVP odds for the next season usually drop right after the Super Bowl. Comparing these to the 2024 results is a great way to see who the "market" thinks was snubbed.
- Dig Into the PFF Grades: Pro Football Focus actually had Lamar Jackson as their MVP by a wide margin. Comparing their grading system to the AP voting is a masterclass in how different people define "value" in football.