Lamar Jackson spent last season falling from No. 2 to No. 69 on the NFL Top 100, and this week the rest of the football world decided that number wasn’t going to sit quietly. The Ravens quarterback’s ranking, revealed Monday, has turned into one of the more heated debates of the NFL’s slow summer news cycle — and Jackson’s own locker room isn’t buying it.
The NFL unveiled the 2026 edition of its annual player-voted countdown this week, and Jackson landed at No. 69, a stunning 67-spot fall from his No. 2 ranking a year ago. The league announced the placement in a video posted to its official X account. NFL posted on X: “No. 69 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026… @ravens QB Lamar Jackson!” —
No. 69 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026…@ravens QB Lamar Jackson! @NFLFilms pic.twitter.com/ji9Vigok8u
— NFL (@NFL) July 13, 2026
According to BaltimoreRavens.com, Jackson was No. 2 heading into both the 2024 and 2025 seasons and held the top spot in 2020, the year he won his first MVP award. The Top 100 is voted on entirely by players, which means Jackson’s peers around the league are the ones who pushed him this far down the board.
Why Jackson’s Ranking Fell So Far
The case against Jackson isn’t complicated, even if the size of the drop is. He played 13 games in 2025 after missing time with a hamstring injury early in the season and a back contusion later on. BaltimoreRavens.com reports he threw for 2,549 yards with 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions, and ran for a career-low 349 yards. He also added seven fumbles on the year, per Pro Football Network.
Ravens beat writer Ryan Mink noted that with a new offensive scheme under first-year coordinator Declan Doyle, an upgraded offensive line and better health, Jackson is positioned for a bounce-back year — his ranking just hasn’t caught up to that yet.
| Season | Top 100 Rank | Passing Yards | Rush Yards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 (entering) | No. 2 | — | — |
| 2025 (entering) | No. 2 | — | — |
| 2026 (entering) | No. 69 | 2,549 | 349 |
Teammates Push Back
Jackson’s own locker room made its feelings clear during the league’s rollout video, which featured current players including Harold Fannin Jr., Joel Bitonio, Zay Flowers, Eric Kendricks and Kyle Van Noy weighing in on his impact, according to Yahoo Sports.
“He can do anything from anywhere – in the pocket, running. If that’s not a threat, I don’t know what is.” — Zay Flowers, via BaltimoreRavens.com
Van Noy, who has played alongside Jackson the past three seasons, put it in terms bigger than football.
“A lot of people said he wasn’t quarterback enough. I think he’s proven those people wrong. But more importantly, he’s proven his mom and him right.” — Kyle Van Noy, via BaltimoreRavens.com
Analysts and Fans Pile On
The backlash spread well past Baltimore’s own building. ESPN analyst Benjamin Solak, who recently released his own Top 100 ballot with Jackson at No. 4 behind only Myles Garrett and Will Anderson Jr., was among those questioning the league list, according to Yahoo Sports.
Former NFL quarterback and analyst Robert Griffin III didn’t hold back either. RGIII posted on X: “Lamar Jackson is not the 69th best player in the NFL. BURN THIS LIST TO THE GROUND.” Per Yahoo Sports‘ reporting on the reaction.
On PFN’s Football Debate Club, analyst Ian Cummings framed the disconnect bluntly, according to Yahoo Sports‘ report on the segment: PFN’s own player model has Jackson rated as the second-best player in the league, nowhere close to where his peers placed him.
Fans flooded X with similar disbelief. One user, posting as @Grizzdasmoker, argued there aren’t 69 players in the league better than Jackson — (via Larry Brown Sports’ roundup of the reaction).
What It Means for 2026
The Top 100 is a popularity contest built on recent memory, and player voting has a well-documented recency bias — reward the guys who beat you last season, discount everyone else. Jackson didn’t beat many people in 2025 because he wasn’t healthy enough to try. That’s the entire case against him, and it’s also the easiest one to erase.
Jackson now begins camp under a rebuilt coaching staff, with Jesse Minter running the team for the first time and Doyle installing a new scheme on offense. If health cooperates, a two-time MVP with something to prove rarely stays buried on these lists for long — Baltimore’s own beat coverage points out he’s shot back up the board before after down years.
Ultimately, rankings don’t decide anything in September. Wins do, and Jackson’s answer to a 67-spot slide will be written on the field, not in a locker room highlight reel.
