Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was named the Associated Press’ NFL Most Valuable Player on Thursday night, denying Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s bid for his second straight MVP award and third overall.

Jackson was considered the slight favorite to repeat after earning MVP honors from the Pro Football Writers of America and All-Pro honors from the NFL Players Association. Jackson also was named first-team All-Pro last month by the AP, whose 50-person panel votes on the league MVP, after receiving 30 votes to Allen’s 18.

But Allen, a second-team All-Pro, edged Jackson in MVP balloting, which took place before the start of the playoffs. Allen received 27 first-place votes, while Jackson had 23. Jackson finished second in NFL Offensive Player of the Year voting, behind Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, while Ravens running back Derrick Henry was fourth.

The last second-team All-Pro quarterback to be named MVP was the Tennessee Titans’ Steve McNair, who shared MVP honors in 2003 with the Indianapolis Colts’ Peyton Manning. Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway was also second-team All-Pro when he beat out San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice and quarterback Joe Montana for the MVP award in 1987.

Until a disappointing playoff loss to the Bills in the divisional round last month, Jackson was having the best season of his career. He posted career highs in passing yards (4,172) and passing touchdowns (41) and had the fourth-best single-season passer rating (119.6) in NFL history. He also became the first quarterback with at least 4,000 passing yards and 800 rushing yards in a single season, finishing with 915 yards on the ground and four touchdowns.

“He’ll always be my MVP, I promise you that,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said in late December.

Allen, the MVP runner-up in 2020 and a finalist in 2022 and 2023, was the late-season front-runner until a final push by Jackson. He passed for 3,731 yards, 28 touchdowns and a career-low six interceptions in 2024 and took just 14 sacks. He also had 531 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns while avoiding negative plays at a historic rate.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff and Barkley were also finalists for MVP honors.

Former Ravens outside linebacker Terrell Suggs and guard Marshal Yanda, both first-time finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, were not selected for induction.

In other AP balloting, safety Kyle Hamilton finished ninth in Defensive Player of the Year voting, while cornerback Nate Wiggins was 11th in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting.