Lamar Jackson’s resume more or less speaks for itself, but the Baltimore Ravens quarterback just broke through into a new tier — quite literally.
If the Ravens quarterback retired right now, he’d already have a strong case for Hall of Fame enshrinement. He’s a two-time MVP, three-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler, who has already thrown for more than 20,000 yards to go along with 166 passing touchdowns while also rushing for another 6,173 yards and 33 scores on the ground. And he’s not even 29 yet.
Interestingly enough, however, Jackson has yet to crack the top tier of The Athletic’s annual QB tier rankings. Jackson almost certainly hasn’t lost any sleep over that distinction nor should he, but the 2025 version of the rankings have been released, and Jackson is officially a Tier 1 quarterback, according to the rankings.
The arbitrary rankings do have some expertise behind them. The Athletic surveys a panel of 50 voters across the game, including general managers, assistant GMs, head coaches and coordinators. Those voters put QBs into their tiers, and The Athletic tabulates the averages to get the rankings.
Lamar Jackson Finally Gets Tier 1 Ranking
Jackson got into Tier 1 after narrowly missing the previous two seasons, and he’s the fourth-highest QB on the rankings behind Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Josh Allen.
One interesting note from the results, per The Athletic: Jackson got 46 top-tier votes this season, doubling his total from the year before. One defensive coordinator told The Athletic that Jackson has “taken leaps and bounds in the last couple years.”
It’s pretty hard to believe Jackson wasn’t already considered a “Tier 1” QB after, you know, winning not one but two MVPs. As one voter noted, it would be impossible for him to not be a Tier 1 guy if he had won a third MVP, which he almost did, finishing just 26 points behind Josh Allen for the 2024 NFL MVP.
“There is a maturity of how he plays the game and when he turns on his magic,” a voter told The Athletic. “We played them, and (expletive), he was almost perfect that day. He is definitely a 1.”
The Last Question Jackson, Ravens Have to Answer
If there’s one area in which Jackson probably gets dinged, it’s his general lack of playoff success. The Ravens have yet to win two playoff games in any season with Jackson under center. Baltimore is just 3-5 in his eight career playoff starts, and his 10-7 touchdown-to-interception ration leaves plenty to be desired.
Of course, anyone who actually has watched him in those games would be hard-pressed to say Jackson is the biggest reason for those shortcomings. He also seemed to turn the corner in a big way in 2024, completing nearly 75% of his passes in two games against Pittsburgh and Buffalo. After a sleepy first half in the divisional round against the Bills, Jackson willed the Ravens back into the game after trailing 21-10 at halftime. Jackson even had the Ravens positioned to tie the game in the final two minutes before Mark Andrews’ infamous dropped two-point conversion after a Jackson touchdown pass.
“He brought them back,” a coordinator told The Athletic. “Andrews drops the ball at the end. Lamar is the total package, a very unique player.”
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