Former Super Bowl Champion with Bucs makes clear statement about Ravens' Lamar Jackson and the MVP race

The Baltimore Ravens‘ season in the NFL has undoubtedly been strong, fighting neck-and-neck for the division alongside the Steelers. Lamar Jackson, the leader of this team, has shown great performance throughout the season, earning him serious MVP consideration. One of the most emphatic supporters of this is a former Super Bowl champion with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Jon Gruden is an experienced NFL coach who had the honor of lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy back in early 2003, when his team won Super Bowl XXXVII by defeating the Oakland Raiders. The successful former head coach, a passionate advocate for Lamar Jackson and his current performance, left no doubt about who should be the next MVP of the league.

“Lamar Jackson is putting together his best body of work that I have seen. It’s really incredible, his statistics, based on any NFL standard that you look at. … Good God. How he is not the MVP? … Lamar has played superb football,“ Gruden stated in a video posted on X.

Although there are still a few weeks left in the regular season, it’s clear that the Ravens‘ quarterback is one of the serious contenders for the MVP award given his current performance. His strongest rival: Josh Allen, the leader of the Buffalo Bills.

With 15 weeks played, Baltimore holds the second spot in the AFC North with nine wins and five losses. The current division leaders are none other than Mike Tomlin’s Pittsburgh Steelers, who lead their rivals with a record of ten wins and four losses.

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Gruden’s extensive career as a head coach

When compiling a list of the most historic coaches in NFL history, Jon Gruden’s name is undoubtedly a must. From his beginnings in 1986 as a graduate assistant with the Tennessee Volunteers to his most recent stint as head coach with the Raiders in 2021, Gruden has been a part of numerous teams.

Without a doubt, the peak of his career came at the end of 2003 when he led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl victory, famously defeating the Raiders, who were still based in Oakland at the time, not Las Vegas.

In the NFL, he has held various positions with several franchises, including the San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders, and the previously mentioned Buccaneers.

Currently, Gruden is serving as an advisor for the Milano Seamen, an American football team based in Milan, Italy, that competes in the European League of Football.

Superbowl-Siegerehrung – Headcoach Jon Gruden (Mitte) mit dem Pokal, re. neben ihm Teameigner Malcolm Glazer (beide Tampa Bay Buccaneers) American Football Herren NFL 2002 2003, Superbowl XXXVII, Super Bowl

The Ravens are looking to claim the division

With only a few weeks left in the NFL regular season, the Baltimore Ravens will do everything they can to secure the top spot in the AFC North, currently held by Russell Wilson’s Steelers.

Next Saturday, December 21, both teams will face off in a game that could be pivotal for the playoff hopes of both franchises.

In their penultimate appearance, John Harbaugh‘s team will face the Houston Texans on December 25, while the regular-season finale will be against the Browns on January 5, 2025.