Lamar Jackson is already a two-time NFL MVP, but he really should be a three-time winner. Last year, he lost one of the closest MVP races in NFL history to Josh Allen. Whether you went by tape, numbers, or team success, Jackson was the better player.
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He beat Allen head-to-head in a blowout. He was a more productive and efficient passer in terms of yards, touchdowns, and passer rating. Jackson threw fewer interceptions at a lower rate and more touchdowns at a higher rate than Allen. He was also a far more productive rushing QB. Allen’s Buffalo Bills finished 13-4 while Jackson’s Baltimore Ravens finished 12-5, but that’s a negligible difference.
Then they met again in the playoffs, and despite a strong performance from Jackson, he had two turnovers. A shocking drop by Mark Andrews sealed another heartbreaking playoff loss for Baltimore. But… despite finishing second in MVP voting last year and probably deserving the award, Chris “Mad Dog” Russo doesn’t believe Jackson is even a top-five player in the NFL right now.
The veteran analyst, known for dishing out hot takes, shared this one on an episode of First Take while reacting to the list of top players for the upcoming season.
“How in the world could you put Lamar over Joe Burrow, when Joe Burrow won a Championship Game in Kansas City?” Russo asked.
“Lamar Jackson’s never done that. How in the world could you do that… You can’t put Jackson No. 4… You have to go—not in any particular order—Mahomes, Allen, Burrow 1-2-3. That’s all there is to it… But you can’t put Lamar Jackson ahead of Burrow, who’s won a Championship Game in Kansas City! It’s ridiculous!” he added.
.@MadDogUnleashed says Lamar Jackson is not a top five player in the NFL 👀
"You can't put Jackson four." pic.twitter.com/Okj8u1AJHI
— First Take (@FirstTake) August 27, 2025
Joe Burrow is a great player who led the league in passing yards and passing TDs last year. But he hasn’t made the playoffs since 2022. Russo is using a win from nearly five years ago to justify why Burrow is better than Jackson in 2025. It’s positively ludicrous.
Fans were just as shocked (as we were) by this hottest of hot takes. “He smoking Crack,” said one Twitter user.
“Worst person on tv next to Nick Wright,” said another. “Get these di**heads off television,” chimed in a third. Many of the other comments concerned a player who was snubbed from ESPN’s top 10 list completely: “TJ Watt gets disrespected year in and year out. Unreal.”
Apart from his take on Jackson, Russo was absolutely apoplectic that T.J. Watt and Maxx Crosby were not on that list. And we agree with him on that one.
“And speaking of it, where is T.J. Watt on this list? You’re telling me T.J. Watt is not a top 10 player? Where the heck is he? Where is Maxx Crosby on this list?”
ESPN has Myles Garrett ranked as the No. 4 player overall, but we’re not sure he’s even the best player at his own position. Is he clearly better than Watt, Crosby, Aidan Hutchinson, or Micah Parsons? We’re not so sure.
All told, the idea that Lamar Jackson is not a top-five player is just silly. He’s got a case to be ranked ahead of anyone in the league apart from his playoff bogeyman, Patrick Mahomes. Not to mention the weapons that Burrow has in the passing game are far and away the best group any of these top four QBs has been lucky enough to play with.
Jackson should have beaten Josh Allen in the MVP race last year, and he’s led his team to two division titles in the last two years while Burrow and his Bengals have watched the playoffs from home. He’s top five with a bullet.
