“That’s What Aaron Rodgers Was Doing When He Won MVP”: Shannon Sharpe on ‘Lamar Jackson for MVP’ Chatter

Despite the popular consensus and the heavily favorable betting odds for Josh Allen, Shannon Sharpe is convinced that the NFL MVP race is not over for Lamar Jackson. Sharpe firmly contends that Jackson’s current season is very similar to the 4 MVP-winning campaigns Aaron Rodgers has had.

A common theme in Aaron Rodgers’ historic four MVP seasons was his ability to score nearly 40 touchdowns while keeping interceptions in single digits [6, 5, 5, 4]. This trend has followed Jackson this season — 42 touchdowns coupled with 4 interceptions, as Sharpe pointed out.

“That’s what Aaron Rodgers was doing when he was winning the MVP,” the former tight end said on the latest episode of Nightcap.

Shannon further strengthened Lamar’s case by noting how the QB has racked up 800+ rushing yards on top of his passing brilliance—something favorite Josh Allen hasn’t done. As someone who has voted for the MVP and the All-Pro team in the past, the experienced Shannon argued, citing precedent, that he would cast his vote for Lamar if he could vote this year.

“Y’all got to look at Lamar’s stats. I mean, my man has 37 touchdowns, four picks, and then you throw in his rushing, so he’s 40 touchdowns with like six or seven turnovers. You look at his passing numbers, that’s what Aaron Rodgers was doing when he was winning MVP throwing 40 plus touchdowns with single digit interceptions… If I had a vote, I probably would vote for Lamar.”

Notably, Allen has a slight edge over the Ravens star only in interceptions [6], but in arguably the most important stat—his TD tally [26]—he falls significantly short. Even so, the bookmakers’ odds remain heavily in Josh’s favor

Allen is currently the favorite at -250 compared to Lamar’s +160. With just a game left against a tough Texans team, it remains to be seen how the Ravens star manages to turn things around. But he can always draw inspiration from his last two outings, which has massively bridged the gap between him and Allen.

Before the Steelers matchup, Lamar Jackson’s betting odds stood at +400, compared to the latest odds of +160. While it has to be said that fortune has played its part, with Josh Allen not looking his best of late, Lamar’s consistency throughout the season deserves recognition.

Moreover, with the latest reports confirming Allen’s injury, though minor, it seems the stars may be aligning for the Ravens quarterback.