Since Lamar Jackson’s whereabouts are a popular topic of conversation every offseason, we can start by shedding some light on where the Baltimore Ravens quarterback, and reigning NFL MVP, spent much of the spring: in meetings with his offensive coaches.
The idea for Jackson, from those coaches, was to increase his ownership of the offense going into Year 2 in offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s scheme. And the implication of the work was unmistakable.
Is there another level to Jackson’s game, something new for him to tap into?
Posed with that question, the 27-year-old smiled broadly.
“Time will tell,” Jackson said.
We already know a lot about the seventh-year pro, who won his second NFL MVP award last year. He is, without question, one of the greatest dual-threat quarterbacks to step on a football field—fourth all-time in rushing yards at the position, less than 1,000 yards from Michael Vick’s career record, and ninth in career passer rating (98.0). All of that’s come with incremental improvement over the years, as he’s rounded out his game.
So it might be tough for some to believe there’s another leap for his career to take. But if you listen to enough people around Baltimore, Jackson included—while the rest of us wait to get our first look at the 2024 version of Jackson at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday night—you’ll hear that it’s coming.
“It’s just in the mental [part of the game]. Just being more of a student of the game, and not to model my game after Tom Brady, but Tom Brady’s a guy I feel like we should all try to look at—What had him so successful? Seven Super Bowls. He won with another team.”
– Lamar Jackson
“It’s just in the mental [part of the game],” Jackson says, leaning against a wall in a hallway next to the Ravens’ locker room. “Just being more of a student of the game, and not to model my game after Tom Brady, but Tom Brady’s a guy I feel like we should all try to look at— Seven Super Bowls. He won with another team. His mindset, his approach to the game, him just knowing where all the guys are, knowing to get a protection.
“He’s not a guy who was a dual threat. He’s going to throw the ball. He’s going to protect it. I know I can get away from these guys, I know where the free rusher is, but let me protect it, let my guys work instead of going to run all the time. Small things. That’s the 1%.”
This summer, Jackson’s been chasing that 1% with all that he’s got, and setting the bar as high as he ever has. Which is where all the work with Monken, and everyone else, came into that bigger equation.
