Lamar Jackson hilariously thanked the Ravens for finally giving him a new deal in NFL MVP acceptance speech

Lamar Jackson’s second MVP honor came with a pretty funny joke in his acceptance speech.

As expected, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson won Most Valuable Player for the 2023-24 NFL season on Thursday night at this year’s NFL Honors.

The electric NFL superstar and now two-time MVP winner didn’t even have his major contract extension with the franchise until last April, and he joked about the Ravens finally paying him what he’s worth during his acceptance speech.

This was a very funny poke at Baltimore, who absolutely made the right decision by finally paying Jackson rather than dragging out his major contract any longer than the team already did.

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It all worked out for the two sides, and it got them to Thursday’s second MVP honor for Jackson.

It’s great that Jackson can now joke about the deal that eventually came than think about the deal that wouldn’t be, as the Ravens have to be happy having a two-time MVP winner leading their franchise.

We won’t be shocked if Jackson returns to this stage as a three-time MVP winner one day, and it’ll be this contract extension that likely made it with the Ravens.

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How to watch and stream NFL Honors (including Hall of Fame class) tonight

NFL awards and the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class will be announced during ‘NFL Honors’ tonight.

The 13th annual NFL Honors awards show will be held at Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas on Thursday, Feb. 9.

The show will begin at 9 p.m. ET (7 p.m. MT), but the league noted in a press release that “the program may not air live in all time zones.” Fans will have to check their local listings to see if it airs live in your area.

NFL Honors will be nationally televised on CBS and NFL Network. Fans can stream the show on fuboTV (try it free), Paramount+ or NFL+. Keegan-Michael Key has returned to host the show for a third time.

Every major award is announced during NFL Honors, including NFL MVP and the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award. The league will also announce the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class tonight (Denver Broncos great Randy Gradishar is a senior finalist).

Award presenters will include Drew Brees, Kirk Cousins, Tony Gonzalez, Damar Hamlin, Justin Jefferson, Cam Jordan, Ray Lewis, Micah Parsons, Deion Sanders from the NFL, plus flag football star Diana Flores and celebrities Alix Earle, Taraji P. Henson, Issa Rae and Miles Teller.

See the full list of awards set to be revealed on NFL Honors below.

4 Cowboys named as finalists for prestigious MVP, OPOY, DPOY awards

From @ToddBrock24f7: Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Micah Parsons, and DaRon Bland are all up for end-of-year awards at NFL Honors on Feb. 8.

The team didn’t get very far with their postseason journey, but a handful of Cowboys players could still come home with personal end-of-year honors for their exemplary 2023 seasons.

The NFL has announced the finalists for this year’s Most Valuable Player, as well as the seven other major awards to be handed out at NFL Honors on Feb. 8.

The Cowboys are represented by four players in three different categories, with teammates competing against one another in two of those categories.

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Deebo Samuel’s pregame outfit made it very clear where he stands on Brock Purdy’s MVP case

Get you someone who supports you like Deebo Samuel supports Brock Purdy.

Brock Purdy ceded his lead in the MVP race to Lamar Jackson  in San Francisco’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens Monday night. However, not everyone thinks Purdy’s four-interception game cost him the award.

Specifically, Purdy’s teammate Deebo Samuel still thinks the quarterback is the 2023 Most Valuable Player. Samuel made that abundantly clear with his pregame outfit ahead of Sunday’s game at the Washington Commanders.

The wide receiver arrived for the game in a vest with Purdy’s No. 13 on the front and back, Purdy’s name plate on the back, and “MVP” stitched all over it.

That is some great support from one teammate to another, though it might be going against another teammate. Christian McCaffrey’s +475 MVP odds are second behind Lamar Jackson’s -190 at BetMGM. Purdy has the fifth-best odds at +1200.

Lamar Jackson’s MVP claim resides in an immeasurable impact instead of stats

After overtaking San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy for the best odds to win NFL MVP, there has been one common rebuttal to Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s claim to the award: his lack of eye-popping statistics. Jackson’s 3,357 …

After overtaking San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy for the best odds to win NFL MVP, there has been one common rebuttal to Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s claim to the award: his lack of eye-popping statistics.

Jackson’s 3,357 passing yards and 19 passing touchdowns are not at the top of the NFL. There are 13 quarterbacks with more passing touchdowns than Jackson this season and 14 quarterbacks with more passing yards. Jackson’s passing attempts are also near the bottom of the league.

Jackson’s 786 rushing yards (most among quarterbacks) and five touchdowns on the ground bring his total yards to 4,143 and 24 touchdowns, but that still leaves him behind several other quarterbacks. So why does Jackson currently have the highest odds to bring home the prestigious MVP award for the second time in his career?

The answer to that could be as simple as being the quarterback of the team with the best record in the league with multiple electrifying primetime performances in recent weeks. Still, as usual with Jackson, it is a bit more nuanced than that.

The 33rd Team’s Derrik Klassen wrote about why Jackson deserves the MVP this season.

“Watching Jackson play is a different story,” Klassen wrote. “You can feel his presence. Jackson is a singular force that makes the offense work; an offense that is missing its best and most tenured skill player in Mark Andrews. The passing game works because Jackson wills it to work with his pocket presence and unique vision. The run game works because of the gravity Jackson commands.”

Klassen pointed out how Jackson ranks 15th in EPA per dropback and ninth in QBR with two games remaining in the regular season.

“Yet, when you watch the Ravens offense, you can’t help but feel like Jackson is a singular force moving everything along,” Klassen wrote. “Jackson constantly gets the offense out of jams it has no business getting out of. He solves every single problem the offense as, big or small, because of his unique tools and the way he’s honed them.”

Following the win over the 49ers, Baltimore Head Coach John Harbaugh called it “an MVP performance” for his quarterback.

Ravens inside linebacker Roquan Smith backed Jackson’s MVP claim as well.

“I think if anybody watched the game, if anybody watched football this season and watched the Baltimore Ravens, they know for a fact Lamar Jackson is the MVP hands down,” Smith said. “If anyone that watches football and knows football and sees the type of impact he has on the game, not even like stat-wise, but just individually, like the plays that he makes quarter in and quarter out, play in and play out. Compare his film to anyone else in the league and then I would love to hear what anyone else has to say after that.”

Not only is Jackson playing at an MVP level without his favorite target in Andrews, but he has also had to deal with a rotation at offensive tackle and season-ending injuries to running backs J.K. Dobbins and Keaton Mitchell.

Defenders are routinely left speechless and often on the ground by Jackson’s one-of-one abilities to evade pressure or juke in the open field.

Jackson converted a 3rd-and-16 against San Francisco with his legs, completely juking out All-Pro inside linebacker Fred Warner on the play to get the first down.

A week prior against the Jacksonville Jaguars, edge rusher Dawuane Smoot was left shaking his head and asking “how” after Jackson evaded a sack and completed a down-field pass to tight end Isaiah Likely.

Jackson has the opportunity to put on another MVP-caliber performance against another of the AFC’s top teams next Sunday as Baltimore plays the Miami Dolphins for the No. 1 seed in the conference.

Brock Purdy’s terrible performance against the Ravens shows us a QB doesn’t have to win MVP this season

The MVP is not a QB-only award, contrary to popular belief.

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.

Goooood morning, family. Welcome back to the Morning Win. Thanks so much for reading us today! We appreciate you. Hope you had a Merry Christmas if you’re celebrated and I hope your holiday season is going well.

Brock Purdy certainly seemed to be in the spirit of giving on Christmas Day.

If you were in a Christmas-induced food coma and missed it, Purdy threw four interceptions against the Ravens’ vaunted defense in the biggest game of the season yet for San Francisco. Some of them were unlucky. Some of them were just simply incredible plays (like this one from Kyle Hamilton). All of them were completely devastating for the 49ers offense that just couldn’t get going. The team had five total INTs on the day.

Hey, man. It happens. It doesn’t mean Brock Purdy isn’t a good player anymore or that he’s been “exposed,” or whatever it is the kids like to say these days. He just had a bad day. It is what it is.

It probably does mean he’s not MVP, though. Rightfully so.

Purdy is no longer the betting favorite to win the NFL’s MVP award, our Prince Grimes writes. His odds dropped pretty steeply. Lamar Jackson is now at the top of the ladder.

With that, the game of musical chairs as the MVP favorite continues, Prince writes.

“It was a massive drop for Purdy, whose previous odds made him the biggest MVP favorite all year. He appeared to be cruising to the award before San Francisco’s stunning loss. His drop continues a trend of quarterbacks treating the top spot like a game of hot potato, with Jackson becoming the fifth different quarterback to hold at least a share of the top odds in the last six weeks. That includes Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts and Dak Prescott.”

The not-so-well-kept secret here is that the MVP is usually just a quarterback award. It’s been that for decades now. The last non-QB to win it was Adrian Peterson in 2012. It’s been 11 years.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. This would be a perfect year to give it to someone like Tyreek Hill, who will probably get extremely close to 2,000 receiving yards this season. Maybe even Christian McCaffery, who Purdy himself has said is his MVP.

This is not to say Lamar Jackson — who is now the current favorite — shouldn’t win it. He’s been awesome this year with 24 total touchdowns (19 passing) and only 7 interceptions. If he won the award, it’d still be legitimate.

But if Jackson has a terrible day next week, who do we turn to? Are we just giving it to the next best quarterback even if it doesn’t feel deserving? Things shouldn’t be that way. But that’s how it feels we’ve been going all season long.

We shouldn’t feel the need to hand-deliver the award to a quarterback just because they’re a quarterback. There’s more than enough talent in the NFL deserving of it on both sides of the ball.

It’d be nice if they got a look for once.


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Steve Kerr is spot-on

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Steve Kerr complaining about defense being “legislated” out of the NBA kind of comes off as sour grapes, doesn’t it? Especially after taking an L to the Nuggets on Christmas Day. He was partially just mad about Nikola Jokic shooting 18 free throws.

But…I feel like he’s kind of right. Here’s what he had to say after the game.

“I have no problem with the officials themselves. All across the league, we have really good officials. I have a problem with the way we are legislating defense out of the game. That’s what we are doing in the NBA. The way we’re teaching the officials, we’re just enabling to B.S. their way to the foul line. If I were a fan, I wouldn’t have wanted to watch the second half of that game. It was disgusting. It was just baiting refs into calls. But the refs have to make those calls because that’s how they’re taught.”

Our Bryan Kalbrosky paints a clearer picture of it all here. Jokic is a destroyer of defenses. His drawing free throws shouldn’t be a shock.

But, overall, the NBA does seem to award fouls for the bare minimum to star players. It’s always been a thing, but it feels like it’s gotten worse.

Look at this play from Joel Embiid here.

By the book, that’s a foul. KAT’s hands are in the cookie jar for a split second and Embiid is skilled enough to capitalize on that.

But, man. What are we doing? Is that the basketball that we want to watch? I’m not one to get on my high horse about the whole “ethical scoring” thing. I think players play the game according to the rules set before them. That’s what Jokic did on Christmas. That’s what Embiid does every night. James Harden made a Hall of Fame career out of it.

I just think the NBA needs to throw the defensive side of the ball a bit of a bone at one point or another.


A shot at avoiding history

(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

The Detroit Pistons are desperate for a win. They’re on the cusp of breaking the NBA’s record for longest losing streak in a single season with 27 losses in a row as the team goes up against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday. Detroit is +500 against Brooklyn tonight.

The Nets aren’t going to just fold here, but the timing is perfect for Detroit. The two teams played a close game on the 23rd. Now, the Pistons will get Brooklyn in their house a day after Christmas on the road.

I think it’s happening, folks. The Pistons are going to win tonight. Detroit is going to avoid history. Tell a friend to tell another friend.

RELATED: Finding the Detroit Pistons next win


Quick hits: Another Chiefs meltdown…A miracle bet…and more

— Andy Reid prevented a Travis Kelce total meltdown on Monday, but it seems like things are unraveling in Kansas City. Here’s Andrew Joseph with more.

— Christian McCaffrey turned $5 into $489k for this better. This is wild. Ben Fawkes has more.

— Everything about this ref tripping Lamar Jackson is meme-worthy. Charles Curtis has more.

— Fans got Kobe Bryant themed t-shirts at the Crypto dot com arena yesterday and it was pretty cool. Here’s Bryan Kalbrosky with more.

— Good to see Jalen Brunson and the Knicks taking the 1A thing in stride. Here’s Bryan again.

— Prince Grimes has your Super Bowl odds here and the Ravens are creeping up.

That’s all, folks! Thanks so much for reading. We appreciate you taking the time. Have a fantastic Boxing Day if you’re celebrating that! Let’s chat again tomorrow.

Until then, we out. Peace.

-Sykes ✌️

5 updated reasons why Jalen Hurts will win the 2023 NFL MVP award

We’re looking at five updated reasons why Philadelphia #Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts will win the NFL MVP award in 2023 via @Thacover2NFL

The bye week is upon us, and at the halfway point of this season, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is among the most popular bets to win the 2023 NFL MVP at multiple sportsbooks.

Hurts finished second in MVP voting last year after logging nearly 4,500 total yards (3,701 passing, 760 rushing) and 35 total touchdowns (22 passing, 13 rushing), leading Philadelphia to a Super Bowl appearance.

With Philadelphia off for Week 10 and set to embark on the most brutal stretch of games, we’re looking at five updated reasons Hurts will win the MVP award in 2023.

Jared Goff should be a legitimate contender for NFL MVP

Lions QB Jared Goff should be a legitimate contender for NFL MVP after his great start to the season

In the fast-paced world of the NFL, where players rise and fall with every game, one name has been steadily making a case for the coveted NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award – Jared Goff. The quarterback for the Detroit Lions has been on a remarkable journey, and this season, he’s proving himself to be a legitimate candidate for the NFL MVP title.

NFL analyst says Tua Tagovailoa is the MVP front-runner

Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa continues to impress after a historic performance in Week 3

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is currently in his fourth NFL season after being selected No. 5 overall by the franchise in 2020. It seems like he has been under constant scrutiny since that day.

Fans and analysts have encouraged him to retire after his concussion issues in 2022, there were Deshaun Watson trade rumors in 2021, and there’s been a long-standing meme that he’s a weak-armed quarterback.

Well, here we are in 2023 with Tagovailoa leading nearly every major quarterback statistical category.

Former Heisman winner, NFL rookie of the year and football fan favorite Robert Griffin III recently stated on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he believes Tagovailoa is the front-runner for the league’s MVP award through three weeks and that it is not close.

Just last week, Tagovailoa and the Dolphins scored a whopping 70 points on the Denver Broncos. The sky is the limit for the young quarterback, and with a potential contract extension this offseason, he’s seeing dollar signs with every completion.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Tagovailoa and other former Alabama players in the NFL as the 2023 season continues.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on Twitter @SpurrFM.Â