Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, former Baltimore signal-caller Joe Flacco and ex-Maryland women’s basketball star Alyssa Thomas are nominees for awards at the 2024 ESPYS, ESPN announced Wednesday.
Jackson is a finalist for best NFL player and best play — his 13-yard completion to himself on a pass batted into the air at the line of scrimmage during Baltimore’s AFC championship game loss to the Chiefs. Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Myles Garrett and San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey are also finalists for best NFL player.
Flacco, a 16-year veteran who played in just six games over the previous two seasons before Cleveland signed him midseason, led a resurgent Browns team to the playoffs and is nominated for best comeback athlete. Thomas, who starred for the Terps from 2010 to 2014 and is currently a forward for the Connecticut Sun, is a finalist for best WNBA player.
Jackson earned his second NFL Most Valuable Player Award this past season after leading the Ravens to the AFC’s No. 1 seed with a career-high 3,678 passing yards and 67.2% completion rate. He added 821 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.
Flacco, who was named the Associated Press NFL Comeback Player of the Year, took over as the Browns’ starting quarterback in December and started in five of Cleveland’s six final regular-season games. He led them to a 4-1 record in those contests, helping the Browns secure just their third playoff appearance this century. Flacco led the NFL with 1,616 passing yards in the month of December.
Thomas was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year in 2012 and 2013 and averaged 19 points and 10.9 rebounds per game as a senior. The 32-year-old is a four-time All-Star in 11 seasons with the Sun and was the runner-up for both MVP and Defensive Player of the Year last season. She recently made her first Olympics team and will compete with the U.S. in Paris this summer.
The 2024 ESPYS will be broadcast on July 11 at 8 p.m. on ABC. Fan voting is open until 5 p.m. the night of the awards ceremony.
