Lamar Jackson and the Ravens: 2022 Edition
I woke up the following day to a giant picture of Heisman trophy winner Lamar Demeatrice Jackson on the front page of the Baltimore Sun newspaper sitting on my kitchen table.
With the 32nd pick in the 2018 NFL draft, the Baltimore Ravens had selected Lamar Jackson, Quarterback, Louisville.Growing up with Joe Flacco as the starting quarterback for my Baltimore Ravens, it was odd to see the Ravens had drafted a first-round quarterback.
Little did I know, Jackson would go on to lead us to a 14-2 season in 2019, become MVP in his second year, and now holds the record as the fastest quarterback to reach 4,000 rushing yards in just 63 career games.
Lamar was raised in Pompano Beach, Florida where he grew up playing football as a child with other soon-to-be NFL stars, such as former Raven Wide Receiver Marquise “Hollywood'' Brown. Jackson continued playing football at Boynton Beach High School. Coming out of high school, Jackson had offers from college teams such as Florida, Auburn, Nebraska, and Louisville.
He was a University of Louisville commit before the draft, where head coach Bobby Petrino promised him that he would be playing quarterback and no other position.
Jackson’s success as the quarterback for Louisville led him to receive the Heisman Trophy, the most prestigious award in college football for the most outstanding player of that season. Lamar was given this honor in 2016 joining past recipients, such as Bo Jackson, Barry Sanders, and Reggie Bush.
Following his collegiate success, there were some that doubted if Jackson had what it took to be a successful NFL quarterback, but John Harbaugh and the Ravens saw something in him that they knew was special.
Jackson did not step on the field as a starting quarterback until the Ravens were in the 2018 AFC Wild Card game in 2018 where he took over for the franchise quarterback Joe Flacco.
. Fans were questionable if Lamar was up to the task to take on the strong defense of the Los Angeles Chargers, in a high-pressure environment in a winner-takes-all game.
Jackson lost the playoff game but went into the 2019 season with a chip on his shoulder as the new starting quarterback for the Ravens.
During the first game of the 2019 season, Jackson threw for 324 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions, leading the Ravens to victory in a 59-10 win over the Miami Dolphins. This was an exuberant start to the season, and Baltimore loyals began to see Jackson’s appeal.
That year, Jackson was the MVP. He was actively defying those who pegged him as a running back, not a starting quarterback. In his acceptance speech he said, “I didn’t want to talk about the doubters and stuff like that, I wanted to talk about the ones who believed in me, they were there from the start,” in reference to his mother, former coaches, teammates, and current coaches and teammates.
Lamar’s playoff game record as of today is 1-3, even during an almost undefeated regular season for the Baltimore Ravens. In four seasons, he has completed 11,602 passing yards, and 4,226 rushing yards, and holds the record for most 100- yard rushing games in NFL history.
Although, there is no denying that his regular season stats stand for themselves, why do all of these stats matter?
There is currently much dispute between Jackson and the Ravens franchise as he embarks on the final season of his rookie contract.
Jackson is seeking $230 million in a new contract with the Ravens, and their counteroffer was $133 million guaranteed at the signing of the contract which would last for five years, into the 2027 season. There have been no further advancements as far as if Jackson will accept the deal, but recent actions by the MVP quarterback lead fans to think that this offer is not good enough for Jackson.
As Jackson walked off the field into the locker room following the Raven’s victory over Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football, a sign caught his attention, making him go back to the fan who had the sign.
Retracing his steps, Jackson went back to autograph this sign that read, “Ravens pay ‘em now.” The media responded to Jackson’s actions with great uproar creating buzz around the dispute over his contract.
Sports commentators such as former Tight End Shannon Sharpe shared on his show UNDISPUTED, “I love this man’s authenticity,” he also said in regards to the Ravens, “Whatever they thought Lamar Jackson could be when they selected him… he’s better than what they thought.”
As a die-hard Ravens fan, I think about whether it’s time for Jackson and the Ravens to part ways, or if he is worth a $230 million guaranteed five-year contract.
Throughout the last four years, Jackson has brought an energy to Baltimore that no other athlete has done in my lifetime. Every Sunday of the football season, every restaurant has the game on full volume, and M&T Bank Stadium is packed with screaming and devoted fans.
The Ravens organization has a big job ahead of them to decide Lamar’s worth to the team. If you were the Ravens, would you pay him?