Colin Cowherd Ditches Lamar Jackson for Broncos Star Bo Nix in NFL Top 100 List

Colin Cowherd has lost faith in Lamar Jackson, the two-time NFL MVP. On "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" on Monday, he reacted to Jackson's drop in the NFL Network's Top 100 Players rankings.

What happened?

Lamar Jackson fell 67 spots to No. 69 on the 2026 list, his lowest ranking since 2023. He took an unprecedented drop from his No. 2 ranking last year.

Why it matters for Lamar Jackson

Cowherd noted that the list is voted on by NFL players. "For years, I defended him," Cowherd said. "It was always his peers, his teammates. … His peers? He's fallen off a cliff." Cowherd said he no longer trusts Jackson in big moments because of his playoff record, injuries, and declining rushing production.

What comes next?

Cowherd said he would rather build a team around younger quarterbacks such as Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Bo Nix. "I would take Bo Nix today in a fourth-quarter, come-from-behind situation over Lamar Jackson," Cowherd said. He praised Nix for staying calm under pressure and pointed to his playoff performance against Josh Allen while playing through a broken ankle.

Cowherd also said quarterbacks like Maye are improving, while he believes Jackson is moving in the opposite direction. On Monday, the NFL revealed that Lamar Jackson landed at No. 69 on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2026 list.

The last time Jackson fell this low on the list (ranking No. 72 in 2023), he responded by winning the league MVP and capturing consecutive No. 2 spots on the list. However, Cowherd is no longer convinced that Jackson is the same quarterback he once was.

In 2022, Lamar Jackson's season ended abruptly when he suffered a PCL injury in Week 13. He missed the final five games of the regular season and the Ravens' wild-card playoff game. Before getting injured, he played in 12 games and threw for 2,242 yards with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also ran for 764 yards and three touchdowns.

Consequently, Jackson fell to No. 72 on the 2023 list. Jackson signed a five-year, $260 million contract extension in the 2023 offseason and completely remade his game under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken. The change paid off. Jackson had one of the best seasons of his career, throwing for a career-high 3,678 yards and 24 touchdowns while rushing for 821 yards and five more scores.

He helped the Ravens finish 13-4 and won his second NFL MVP award.