Ever since the other 31 teams in the NFL decided to pass on him in the 2018 Draft, Lamar Jackson has been exacting his revenge at an unprecedented rate. He’s already managed two MVP awards, four Pro Bowls, three All-Pro honors, and a 70-24 record as a starter. But Jackson’s head coach, John Harbaugh, is adamant that there is room for improvement.
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During a recent appearance on The Lounge podcast, the veteran play caller insisted that there are still plenty of things that his quarterback can work on. Of course, Harbaugh doesn’t think his quarterback needs to step up his production.
“It’s not about a number or a stat or whatever. I don’t know if his stats are going to be better than they were last year; it’d be hard to match what he did last year,” said Harbaugh, adding that the area of improvement lies elsewhere and is something that numbers cannot quantify.
“It’s not about the stats. It’s about the little, intangible things… The greatest players make the players around them better. That’s what Lamar does, but he’ll continue to do that on a higher level, too,” added the head coach.
Despite having the nickname ‘Action Jackson,’ the Ravens’ dual-threat signal caller is rather soft-spoken in nature. In a previous interview, he even admitted that he can certainly do a better job at using his voice in the locker room.
While Harbaugh did suggest that Jackson “is growing” and that he will “continue to grow” into his role as a leader, he also clarified that his signal caller is very much loved by his teammates. Even though he’s not always the most outspoken character, Harbaugh believes that Jackson’s humility is the key to his likeability.
“They love Lamar, and why do they love Lamar? Because he’s genuine, and he’s Lamar. He’s humble, he’s confident, and he’s 28 years old,” said Harbaugh, praising Lamar.
“He’s played seven seasons already, he’s going into this eighth season, and he’s 28 years old. I mean, wow. That’s how young he was when he came in… I see it every year. He’s getting better,” he added.
Oddsmakers are suggesting that Jackson has developed more than enough already, as his Ravens are currently listed as the betting favorites to win the Super Bowl this season. FanDuel Sportsbook is currently offering +650 odds on Baltimore to win the big one, marking them marginal favorites over the likes of the Buffalo Bills (+700) and the defending champions, the Philadelphia Eagles (+750).
The Ravens are also favored to go above their regular-season win total of 11.5 wins, with the odds currently at -130. Likewise, Jackson, at +430 odds, is also the favorite to take home the regular-season MVP award. Players like Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow currently feature odds of +600. Suffice it to say, Vegas is expecting a big year out of this Baltimore roster.
Should Jackson somehow manage to prove Harbaugh right by improving even further, then the Ravens may just be the safest bet on the big board this year.
