It took some years for Steve Young and Peyton Manning to get the monkey off their backs. Both were NFL MVPs twice before they won their first Super Bowl as starters. Lamar Jackson, too, has been the MVP twice now and has already built a resume good enough for the Hall of Fame. The only thing that eludes him- the Lombardi Trophy. He missed out last season, losing to the Bills in the divisional round, and the Ravens’ QB delivered a poor performance. Could 2025 be the season when he finally gets monkey off his back?
Advertisement
Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson weigh in on Lamar’s lack of Super Bowl appearances and give their two cents on whether the upcoming season could be the one where he finally ends his and the Ravens’ Super Bowl drought.
Ocho is unsure if the upcoming season will be the season, but he is sure that Jackson will be there before he hangs up his boots. Why does Chad think that the two-time MVP won’t play in the Super Bowl this season? It’s because of the unpredictability of one of the most challenging divisions in the NFL- the AFC North.
“I don’t know if this is going to be the season, but he will get there before he’s done playing. The AFC North is unpredictable, especially with the Bengals. I don’t know how they will start off this season. You can kind of count the Ravens in. As for the Super Bowl is concerned, I’m not sure it will be this year but if it is this year, it would be because they go to the playoff games each week and they have bo effing turnovers.”
Shannon believes Jackson is too good not to grace the biggest stage. He could have been the MVP thrice. Sharpe believes the Louisville alum only has to get to the Super Bowl once. It doesn’t matter if he wins or plays well when he gets there. It will open the floodgates.
“He just needs to get to one. He’s too good. He could easily be a three-time league MVP. If he gets there and plays well, ain’t nothing else he can do. It’s like when Tom lost two. When he lost to the Eagles, he threw for 500 yards. He just needs to get there. Let him get there. I don’t worry about whether he plays well or not. I just want him to get there. I want to see him on that big stage.”
Lamar Jackson has been a Ferrari in the regular season—fast, flashy, and nearly unstoppable. In seven NFL seasons, he has thrown for over 20,000 yards and rushed for more than 6,000. The Louisville product has accounted for 166 passing touchdowns and 33 more on the ground. He’s also a two-time league MVP and boasts an impressive 70–24 record as a starter.
But when the postseason arrives, that Ferrari suddenly starts to sputter. In eight playoff appearances, Lamar holds a 3–5 record and has passed for just 1,753 yards while rushing for 641. He’s been responsible for 13 total touchdowns but has also turned the ball over 11 times and been sacked 30 times—a jarring contrast to his regular-season dominance.
Lamar has never advanced beyond the AFC Championship Game, and postseason consistency continues to elude him. This year, however, the Ravens are again positioned as legitimate contenders. Alongside the Bills, they have the best odds of reaching the conference title game. Baltimore has made significant upgrades to its roster, and Derrick Henry remains a centerpiece in the backfield.
Still, as always, the Ravens’ Super Bowl hopes rest squarely on the shoulders of their quarterback. Whether Jackson can finally translate his regular-season brilliance into playoff success remains the biggest question
