Allen beats out Lamar to claim 1st NFL MVP trophy
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen beat out Lamar Jackson to become NFL MVP for the first time in his career.
Allen and Jackson have dominated headlines throughout the 2024 campaign as the two have battled for the award. Other finalists included running back Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles, quarterback Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals, and passer Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions.
Allen received 27 first-place votes and 383 points while Jackson had 23 votes for first place and 362 total points, according to Rob Maaddi of The Associated Press. It's the closest NFL MVP race since Peyton Manning and Steve McNair were co-MVPs in 2003.
Here's how Allen and Jackson stacked up during the regular season.
| Category | Allen | Jackson |
|---|---|---|
| QB Record | 13-4 | 12-5 |
| CMP% | 63.6% | 66.7% |
| Pass Yards | 3731 | 4172 |
| Pass TDs | 28 | 41 |
| INTs | 6 | 4 |
| Passer Rating | 101.4 | 119.6 |
| Rush Yards | 531 | 915 |
| Rush TDs | 12 | 4 |
| EPA/Play Rank | 1st | 2nd |
Allen led the Bills to a 13-win campaign with 41 total touchdowns - one receiving touchdown and 12 rushing scores - against just six interceptions. He became the first QB in NFL history to record a passing, rushing, and receiving touchdown in a single game and was also the first to ever notch two touchdown passes and two rushing scores in consecutive games.
The 28-year-old has now hit 40-plus total touchdowns in five straight seasons, which is also the first time that feat has ever been accomplished.
"I know this is an individual award, and it says Most Valuable Player on it, but I think it's derived from team success," an emotional Allen said Thursday.
Allen brings a new face to an MVP trophy race that has been dominated by three players in recent years. Only Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, and Aaron Rodgers have taken home the accolade over the previous six campaigns, with each quarterback winning twice in that span.
The Bills passer boasts a career record of 76-34 with 195 passing touchdowns to 84 interceptions. He's also totalled 4,142 rushing yards and 65 scores on the ground.
Allen ended the regular season as the MVP favorite but Jackson took over as the front-runner weeks later after being named a first-team All-Pro also by The Associated Press. However, the Buffalo star once again became the favorite on the days leading up to the NFL awards show.
"I was pretty surprised, given what we know about how the voting goes. Lamar was very deserving of this as well," Allen said Thursday about winning football's most prestigious individual award, according to John Breech of CBS Sports.
Allen is the first Bills QB ever to be named MVP.