In an article that shocked most of the football world, Bleacher Report ranked Lamar Jackson first in the ‘List of Most Overrated QBs.’ Writer Alex Kay labeled the Baltimore Ravens star as “not just one of today’s most overrated active quarterbacks, but also of all time,” and even suggested his two MVPs were “borderline fraudulent.” Obviously, that sent shockwaves across the football world.
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Kay’s argument centers on one idea: Jackson hasn’t delivered when it matters most. Among the 10 players who have won multiple MVP awards in the Super Bowl era, Jackson is the only one without a Super Bowl appearance or ring.
Sharpe first corrected an inaccuracy in the comparison: “Steve Young did not take no team to multiple Super Bowls… He took his team to one Super Bowl, and he did win it.”
He also reminded viewers that Young spent much of his early career as a backup, which complicates the argument that every multiple-MVP quarterback followed the same path.
Still, Sharpe didn’t ignore the “elephant in the room.” As he stated, “You see the names that are on this list that have won multiple MVPs… Lamar is the only one who hasn’t been to a Super Bowl.”
For Sharpe, that’s why Jackson receives harsher scrutiny than other elite quarterbacks. “You can’t just look, ‘Well, he won two MVPs.’ You gotta look at the company that he’s in.”
Sharpe reiterated that he wasn’t declaring Jackson’s career a failure. Instead, his point was about expectations: “His career will be looked at as a disappointment if he doesn’t get to a Super Bowl, considering what he had accomplished.” He stressed that he was speaking about a long-term view, not a conclusion on Jackson’s career today.
Ocho defended Jackson on the “overrated” claim. He said, “The whole overrated part is the part I don’t like.” He argued that calling Jackson overrated “because he hadn’t gotten there yet when he’s still playing in only his seventh, maybe eighth year… is ridiculous.” To Ocho, the critique is premature, especially when Jackson plays in an AFC loaded with elite quarterbacks.
Both also pointed out the flawed logic in tying a regular-season award like MVP to postseason achievements. Kay’s argument suggested that Jackson’s MVPs don’t “measure up,” but Sharpe and Ocho noted that MVP voting happens before the playoffs, meaning Super Bowl wins are not part of the criteria.
For Sharpe, the solution is simple and rooted in historical precedent. If Jackson wants to shed the “most overrated” label, he must do what every other multiple-MVP quarterback has done: “He has to get to at least one… He gets to one and he wins it, we look at him totally different.”
The numbers paint a clear picture of why the debate is so charged. He has thrown 181 touchdowns against just 50 interceptions and led the NFL in touchdown passes (36) and QBR (83.0) back in 2019. Last season, he firmly cemented his place among the league’s elite, finishing first in touchdown rate (8.6), yards per attempt, adjusted yards per attempt, quarterback rating, and QBR. Now past 100 career starts, Jackson has also earned three First-Team All-Pro selections and four Pro Bowl nods.
Yet his 3–5 playoff record and .375 postseason winning percentage remain the biggest criticisms, especially compared to the other MVPs he’s measured against. Do you think that’s fair, or has Jackson won his MVPs fair and square?
