Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) in February, with the Associated Press (AP) initially reporting that he received 27 first-place votes, narrowly beating out Lamar Jackson, who had 23. At the time, the result appeared close, but a recent correction by the AP revealed that the margin was actually wider than originally reported.
The AP updated its original announcement to clarify that an invalid ballot had mistakenly been included in the count. As a result, the total number of voters was reduced from 50 to 49. According to the AP, this correction did not affect the overall outcome of the award or the list of finalists, but it did change the final vote totals.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk first reported the discrepancy. His investigation revealed that analyst Diante Lee’s ballot had been counted twice, while Tony Dungy’s vote had been left out. Interestingly, the AP claimed Dungy voted for Lamar Jackson, but Dungy publicly denied casting that vote, further complicating the situation.
After the correction, Josh Allen’s total increased to 28 first-place votes, while Jackson’s dropped to 22. This adjustment widened Allen’s lead and removed any ambiguity about the closeness of the MVP race. Though the miscount did not alter the result, it shed light on potential flaws in the voting process for major awards.
Ultimately, the correction confirmed Allen as a clear MVP winner. The outcome ensured that performance-based incentives were correctly paid out and preserved the integrity of Allen’s growing career achievements. MVP awards can significantly influence a player’s legacy, and Allen securing his first before Jackson adds to his stature within the league.
