Last week, former NFL quarterback and current SiriusXM NFL Radio host Jim Miller made headlines after he revealed his vote for the NFL MVP, placing Lamar Jackson in fourth place. Miller was the only voter who didn’t rank Jackson in the top two, leading to widespread criticism on social media.
In his “Movin’ The Chains” broadcast, Miller addressed the backlash but didn’t offer a detailed explanation for his decision.
Miller, despite the criticism, stood by his choice. “A lot of people loved Lamar,” he said, acknowledging the public’s reaction but emphasizing his own vote. “I voted a certain way. A lot of people didn’t like their take on that. And I had my five.”
This statement, however, didn’t offer a clear justification for Jackson’s absence from the top three. After all, Jackson had arguably one of the greatest seasons ever for a quarterback, earning his second MVP title and playing at his peak. Miller gave his first-place vote to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, second place to Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, and third place to Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. He even considered giving Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes his first-place vote, eventually ranking him fifth.
Miller defended his decision, citing Mahomes’ impressive season. “At the end of the day, this is a team sport, and he has won more than anybody,” he explained. “He’s 15-2 on the year, and I had to refrain myself, but I would’ve slept very nicely with him being the MVP for my vote.” Despite the backlash, Miller expressed satisfaction with his vote, claiming that even if Jackson had received his first-place vote, it wouldn’t have impacted the final result. Jackson finished second with 362 votes, trailing Allen, who garnered 383 votes.
Looking ahead to next season, Jackson has already been named the favorite for the MVP with odds of +450, closely followed by Allen (+600), Mahomes (+700), and Burrow (+750). The Athletic’s Jess Bryant highlighted Jackson’s strong chances, noting that while Jackson may not be the “value pick” at the top of the list, he remains a solid contender. Bryant also pointed out that Jackson’s success will depend on the Ravens’ overall offensive improvements, particularly if they add another top-tier wide receiver. Despite sharing offensive credit with running back Derrick Henry, Bryant emphasized that Jackson remains a primary factor in the Ravens’ success.
Meanwhile, Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton recently spoke about the team’s performance, noting that while the Ravens have the necessary components to win a championship, they failed to execute when it mattered most. Hamilton reflected on the team’s playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills, where the Ravens fell short despite their strong regular season. “We have everything you want to win a championship,” Hamilton said. “It’s just we haven’t been playing well when we got to the point we need to win.” He attributed the loss to struggles with playing from behind, as well as turnovers and defensive breakdowns in the divisional round. “We don’t want it to fall on our offense to have to go down and score; we want it to be on the defense to get that stop and win the game for us.”
One of the Ravens’ offseason priorities is deciding whether to re-sign left tackle Ronnie Stanley, who is considered one of the top tackles available. Pro Football Focus analyst Dalton Wasserman suggested that Stanley would be a valuable addition to the Kansas City Chiefs, who were dominated by the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive line during the Super Bowl. With the Chiefs looking to strengthen their offensive line, Wasserman recommended Stanley as a veteran option to protect Patrick Mahomes. Stanley, who had an outstanding pass-blocking grade of 84.1 from PFF, will likely attract significant attention this offseason. He accepted a pay cut last year to stay with the Ravens but could receive a more lucrative offer elsewhere. If Stanley doesn’t re-sign, the Ravens may consider moving right tackle Roger Rosengarten, who had a strong rookie season, to the left side.
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