Whenever MVP voting occurs in any league, outlier votes attract scrutiny. This was evident again as Josh Allen edged out Lamar Jackson to clinch his first NFL MVP award, with some influence from former Chicago Bears quarterback Jim Miller. Miller, who spent eight seasons in the NFL, primarily with the Bears under Dick Jauron, achieved notable success in 2001 with an 11-2 record as a starter. He later served mainly as a backup, famously earning a Super Bowl ring behind Tom Brady with the New England Patriots.
Transitioning to media, Miller now hosts on SiriusXM Radio and participates as one of the 50 NFL MVP voters for the Associated Press. Unlike the often secretive Baseball Hall of Fame voting, the AP publishes every voter’s ballot post-award announcement. Lamar Jackson appeared either first or second on 49 of the 50 ballots, but Jim Miller controversially placed him fourth, voting instead for Josh Allen, Saquon Barkley, and Joe Burrow.
For reference, Josh Allen also received only one vote outside the top two, from Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, who placed him third after Jackson and Burrow. Immediately following the release of the votes, Miller’s ballot faced scrutiny on social media. Comments ranged from calls to revoke his MVP voting privileges to criticisms of having placed Jackson in fourth.
I’d like to start a petition to remove Jim Miller’s MVP voting privileges.
Choosing Josh over Lamar, crazy but understandable.
Having Lamar Jackson at 4th place….CRIMINAL!
— Torrey Smith (@TorreySmithWR) February 7, 2025
I analyzed his season and never saw it as MVP worthy. What did I say about him that wasn’t about football?
Meanwhile, a big chunk of media pushed so hard for him.
But hey, congrats. Because Acho, Orlovsky and Jim Miller suck at voting, Allen has a Charity MVP. https://t.co/YdpB0aEz54
— Scott Kacsmar (@ScottKacsmar) February 7, 2025
Interestingly, Mike Florio, another AP NFL award voter, noted that the announcement of all ballots being made public was unexpected. Transparency remains a hot topic in awards voting, with many fans demanding accountability from voters. If Miller and others were not aware their ballots would be public, it may lead to uncomfortable situations like the one he is currently facing. As of now, Miller has not commented on his MVP vote via social media, but his SiriusXM show is drawing increased attention. Perhaps he’ll follow the lead of Mark Jackson, who infamously snubbed Nikola Jokic and later called it a simple mistake.
