Lamar Jackson wins 2023 NFL MVP

Lamar Jackson became just the second Heisman Trophy winner to capture multiple NFL Most Valuable Player honors when he won the 2023 AP NFL MVP award Thursday night, announced at the NFL Honors ceremony at the Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas.

Jackson, the 2016 Heisman winner from Louisville and one of eight Heisman winners to lay claim to NFL MVP honors, won his first AP NFL MVP honor in 2019 when he became just the second player ever to win the award unanimously in his first full season as a starter.

The NFL MVP honor is one of eight AP NFL Awards that are voted on by a nationwide panel of 50 sports journalists who cover the league. Jackson received 49 of the 50 first-place votes this year.

Jackson completed 307-of-457 passes for 3,678 yards in the 2023 regular season, averaging 8.0 yards per attempt, all career-high numbers. He threw 24 touchdown passes against just seven interceptions and rushed for 821 yards on 148 carries, averaging 5.5 yards per attempt, while scoring five more touchdowns.

While the NFL recognizes the MVP winners as voted by AP, there are also a handful of recognized organizations that have bestowed NFL MVP honors since 1938.

Jackson is the first Heisman winner to be named NFL MVP twice by AP.

Earl Campbell, the 1977 Heisman winner, has been named NFL MVP three times, including by AP in 1979.

He was first named NFL MVP by the Pro Football Writers of America and the Jim Thorpe Memorial Trophy in 1978, the latter of which was voted on by NFL players.

Campbell also garnered MVP honors by winning the Jim Thorpe Memorial Trophy again in 1980.

Other Heisman winners to win an NFL MVP honor include Cam Newton (2015, AP, PFWA) Barry Sanders (1997, AP, PFWA, Sporting News, Jim Thorpe), Marcus Allen (1985, AP, PFWA, Sporting News), O.J. Simpson (1973, AP, Jim Thorpe), Paul Hornung (1961, AP, Sporting News, UPI) and Frank Sinkwich (1944, Joe F. Carr Trophy).