The NFL Honors Award will take place on February 8 at the Resorts World Theater in Las Vegas.
While there is yet to be a consensus winner on some awards, the MVP race is shaping to be a one-man show.
Lamar Jackson's MVP case is getting stronger by the day. With his competitions out of the playoff picture now, his campaign is becoming more appealing.
It won't be his first, if ever, he wins the top individual award in professional American football, as he won it already in 2019.
He won it unanimously and became the second youngest MVP winner in NFL history behind Jim Brown.
Baltimore Ravens fans are raving about Jackson, and that is expected. He is having a season that is arguably better than his unanimous MVP season.
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He led his team to a 14-4 finish and is now just one win away from an appearance at the Super Bowl he covets. The farthest he's reached is the Divisional Round of 2020, where they bowed to the Buffalo Bills. He is having a sensational season.
Right now, Ravens fans should feel more thankful for Jackson as they almost lost him at the start of the summer season.
Non-exclusive franchise tag and not feeling wanted
The Baltimore Ravens almost saw Jackson walk away for another franchise around March last year.
On March 7, Ravens supporters woke up to the news that the team activated their non-exclusive franchise tag on the 27-year-old. This meant that he could entertain other teams if he wanted to.
However, no NFL was keen on signing because of various issues.
Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank did not even consider him because he was injury-prone, while New York Jets general manager Joe Douglas said they'd stick with Aaron Rodgers instead.
Jackson's revelation about requesting a trade
Days after the franchise tag surfaced, Jackson revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that he initially intended to leave the team and made a request on March 2.
He rued the situation that the Baltimore Ravens were not ready to meet his value.
"You all are great, but I had to make a business decision that was best for my family and I," he wrote.
"No matter how far I go or where my career takes me, I'll continue to be close to my fans of Baltimore Flock nation and the entire State of Maryland. You'll See me again Truzzzzz."
Eventually, the two parties reached an agreement. Jackson signed a five-year, $260 million deal ($185 million guaranteed) on April 27, 2023. The deal made him the highest-paid player in NFL history for a week.
Revitalized 2023 season - better than ever
The two sides smoothened things out, and that is probably the best decision, as Jackson seemed like a different player but the same beast.
For this season, changes in the Ravens' schemes were made, but he was just as good. The team transitioned to a heavier passing game with him still at the center.
He did not just adjust. He owned the role.
The Ravens embraced the passing game under Todd Monken's supervision, who was all praise for Jackson's ability to look for the correct person and plays to pass to on the gridiron.
He was hired at the start of the season, and it looked like he and Jackson were a match made in heaven.
Jackson embraced the emphasis on the passing game Monken imposed.
For this season, he has a career-high 3,678 passing yards in the eliminations, much better than in his 2019 MVP season. He also has a career-high 67.2 completion percentage with 821 yards rushing and 56.5 rushing yards per game; both ranked first in the league.
The Ravens did not change their quarterbacks, yet they received a much better player. For that, Jackson is the MVP.
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