Despite Lamar Jackson having already claimed two regular-season MVP awards, three Pro Bowl nominations, and $144,564,817 in contract earnings, he’s yet to win the big one. In fact, the star signal caller of the Baltimore Ravens has just as many playoff wins as Pro Bowl appearances.
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With a 3-5 career record in the postseason, Jackson routinely faces criticisms, as even though he often appears to be the best player in the league, his individual success has yet to translate to anything meaningful for the Ravens. Nevertheless, the dynamic dual-threat QB remains adamant that he will one day be a Super Bowl champion.
During his chilling sit-down with Kevin Hart on the comedian’s hot tub-themed Cold as Balls show, the seven-year veteran only had three words when asked about how close Baltimore is to winning its next championship. “We’re extremely close.”
“As I’ve been getting older,” Jackson noted, “…my mindset has been different.” According to the 2024 MVP runner-up, the game of football is much “easier” than it was a few seasons ago. After Hart questioned him about his interaction with Mark Andrews following his infamous drop that caused the Ravens to lose to the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round of the 2024 playoffs, Jackson stated that he was the first to remind his tight end that football is a team sport.
“I talked to him. I went up to him like, man, we all played a part in this game. I had my turnovers, we shouldn’t even be in this situation. I know you’ve been busting your ass all season. Despite what you’ve been through, you’re just going to have to bounce back. We can’t dwell on this sh*t.”
While that certainly sounds like the poise and inspiration that only a leader can provide, Jackson insisted that being one is anything but natural for him. A rather reserved and stoic personality, he’s aware enough to admit his inability to rally the troops with a speech.
Even though his preference is to lead by example, he’s still open to becoming a better leader for both himself and his teammates.
“I’m really not outspoken, like being vocal with my guys like, ‘Oh let’s do this and that, I got a great motivational speech.’ I don’t have that. I just pretty much lead by example. I go out there, I’m going to work hard, I expect that out of you. But, as I’ve been growing in the league, it’s like, nah, you gotta talk to the guys,” Jackson added.
At the time of writing this report, FanDuel was listing the Baltimore Ravens’ Super Bowl odds at +700, tied with the Buffalo Bills and the defending champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, for the best odds of any team in the league. Oddsmakers seem to be suggesting that Jackson is due for some playoff success much sooner rather than later.
Seeing as Las Vegas has all of those bright lights for a reason, fans and analysts alike would be well advised not to write off Jackson and the Ravens just yet.
