Published on Reading Time 8 Mins Categories NFL PLayers
Updated: April 25, 2025
There are only a few players that are talented enough to bring home an NFL MVP award, and there are even fewer people that are able to win the award at a very young age.
Youngest Player to Ever Win NFL MVP – Lamar Jackson
The youngest player to ever win NFL MVP trophy is currently Lamar Jackson, the Baltimore Ravens current quarterback.
He happens to be the youngest player to ever win the award since Dan Marino, when he was able to win during his second NFL season back in 1984.
Jackson broke the record last season after his fantastic year which saw him lead the Ravens to a 14-2 record during the regular season.
Jackson was also the first quarterback in the history of the NFL to throw for over 3,000 yards and rush for over 1,000 in the same year.
He won the award when he was 23 years and 25 days old, putting him at number one on the list of youngest MVPs ever.
[box_text]The crazy part of his miraculous season was that it was only his second year in the NFL. Jackson was initially written off after winning the Heisman trophy back in his college days as NFL scouts considered him better fit as a running back rather than a quarterback.[/box_text]
Similar to how other players would react, Jackson refused every option other than quarterback and was offended by the offers to switch positions. He was drafted with the very last pick in the first round of the 2018 draft and ended up replacing veteran quarterback Joe Flacco towards the end of the season. After that, Jackson took over the full starting role in 2019 and won the MVP award. This year, he has struggled with injuries and COVID-19. He has a record of 8-4 when he has played this year and has thrown for 2,218 yards to go along with 18 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. However, he has 793 rushing yards this year and six touchdowns on the ground. Jackson is the perfect example of a dual threat quarterback and he will continue to give opposing defensive coordinators headaches with his immense talent.
Patrick Mahomes was the 2nd Youngest Player to Ever Win NFL MVP
Patrick Mahomes was the 2nd Youngest Player to Ever Win NFL MVP Before Jackson won the award, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was the youngest player to ever bring home an MVP award.
Mahomes is widely recognized as one of the best athletes in our generation in just his fourth NFL season. [box_text]He has shattered numerous passing records so far in his young career and was able to bring home the MVP award at the young age of 23 years, four months and 16 days. It happened to be his second season in the NFL just like Jackson and he was able to lead his team to a 12-4 record.[/box_text] He had thrown for over 5,000 yards that season to go along with a whopping 50 touchdown passes! He was able to do all of that by only throwing 12 interceptions as well. His numbers were simply off the charts in that season, but he was unfortunately unable to win the Super Bowl that season, losing to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game. The year after that, he ended up missing a few games due to a knee injury but came back in time for the postseason and brought home a Super Bowl trophy! Now, he owns a 12-1 record in the 2020 NFL season and has thrown for 4208 yards and 33 touchdowns with only five interceptions. He is currently on pace to win his second MVP award in only four seasons including being one of the youngest players to ever win the award. It truly is insane to think about the amount of talent that these two young men possess already in their young and bright NFL careers and just goes to show how much the league has changed over the years. Nowadays, there are so many new faces that enter the league and play at a high-level right from the start and these two guys definitely accomplished that. [box_text]Jackson is one of the greatest dual threat quarterbacks that the league has seen in a very long time and has already developed a new culture in the city of Baltimore with his catchphrase “Big Truss” that originated from running back Mark Ingram during a press conference while introducing the quarterback.[/box_text] When teams face off against him, they have to game plan for all the plays that he can make with his arm along with the dangerous things he can accomplish with his legs in the running game. The same can be said about Patrick Mahomes also. [box_text]Mahomes has won a Super Bowl, an MVP award and is on track for another in just FOUR years in the NFL.[/box_text] When he is back at quarterback, no play is ever dead for him as he knows how to extend plays with his legs to get guys open and he has the arm strength to deliver fantastic throws deep downfield. His talent is almost unheard of by a player at his age and yet he seems to be getting better as his career moves along. There isn’t much of an age gap between these two at the time they won their respective awards but there is a lot of similarity in their games that make them special. Their ability to completely change the course of a franchise and make explosive plays all over the football field.
Andy
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