Lamar Jackson has not only become the favorite for league MVP in his first full season as a starter, but the Ravens quarterback is currently leading all NFL players in Pro Bowl fan voting.
The Ravens lead all 32 teams in total votes received with Jackson, fullback Patrick Ricard, guard Marshal Yanda, offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr., cornerback Marcus Peters, and kicker Justin Tucker leading AFC voting at their respective positions. Jackson has received 146,171 votes compared to 116,325 for Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes for the top two spots overall and in the AFC quarterback race.
Jackson enters Week 12 ranked fourth in the NFL in passer rating (106.3) and first in yards per carry (6.9) while ranking 11th or better in the league in rushing yards, completion percentage, touchdown passes, and passing yards per attempt, illustrating the dynamic dual-threat impact he’s brought to a Ravens team off to its best start since 2012. He would become the first Baltimore quarterback to play in the Pro Bowl since Vinny Testaverde after the Ravens’ inaugural 1996 campaign.
The 22-year-old missed out on his third straight AFC Offensive Player of the Week award to Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen on Wednesday, but news of Jackson leading all NFL players in Pro Bowl voting speaks to his remarkable rise in his second season.
“Football is No. 1 in his life,” said Yanda, who is in the running for his eighth Pro Bowl selection of the last nine years. “Some guys that come through, they like what the game gives them, but they don’t necessarily like the game all the time. This kid loves ball. He loves football. He loves getting better. He’s a competitive guy.
“On Sunday, he’s a competitive son of a gun, and that’s what you need.”
Peters and Tucker are each aiming for their third Pro Bowl nod while Ricard and Brown haven’t been selected before.
Fan voting concludes on Dec. 12 while players and coaches cast their choices on Dec. 13 with each group counting for one-third in determining the 88 players selected to the game. Pro Bowl rosters will be announced on Dec. 17.
