Is Cam Newton Right About Lamar Jackson Being More Important to Baltimore than Ray Lewis?

This Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens are set for the AFC Conference Championship against the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s a big deal for Ravens fans, who haven’t seen their team reach this far since 2012. Baltimore citizens are thrilled and expressing confidence in Lamar Jackson, they have boldly declared him as the franchise’s greatest quarterback.

Cam Newton, the ex-Carolina Panthers QB, talked on his podcast “4th and 1” about the impressive journey of the Ravens star quarterback and highlighted how the Baltimore fans have embraced him. Newton shared a chat he had with someone from Baltimore who claimed Lamar Jackson means more to the city than the star linebacker Ray Lewis, who spent 17 seasons playing for the Baltimore Ravens.

Cam was a bit taken aback, thinking “Oh, Wait! How dare you?” as he has a tremendous respect for the legendary NFL player. However, as his conversation with the Baltimore resident proceeded, he realized that Jackson’s impact on the city is huge. Moreover, in his podcast, when Newton was asked if he agreed with the person’s statement, Cam said he had to agree.

Ray Lewis kicked off his NFL journey when the Ravens picked him 26th overall in the 1996 NFL Draft. Over 17 seasons with the Ravens, he played in 227 out of 228 games, recording 2059 tackles, 40 hits on quarterbacks, and 41.5 sacks. Among his achievements, he snagged the Defensive Player of the Year Award twice in 2000 and 2003, and clinched two Super Bowl victories in 2000 and 2012.

On the flip side, Lamar Jackson, a two-time Pro-Bowler, has made significant strides in just a few years. While he hasn’t clinched a Super Bowl in his past five seasons, he became the youngest MVP in NFL history. This season, he’s a top contender for the MVP again, steering his team to dominance with 13 regular-season victories. In his six seasons, he has guided his team to the Playoffs four times and is now just a game away from reaching Super Bowl LVIII.

Observing Lamar Jackson’s rise, Cam Newton’s declaration of him being the guy for Baltimore isn’t off the mark but perhaps this is not a comparison that needs to be made. Newton believes Lamar is the most dynamic player in football, surpassing even Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes. Drawing a parallel, Newton likened Lamar’s style to the electrifying play of former Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick, expressing that Lamar’s play is just as thrilling and exciting.

Jackson vs. Baltimore Legends

Baltimore Ravens fans have long debated if Lamar Jackson outshines franchise legends like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, or Jonathan Ogden. A Reddit thread from two years ago delved into this discussion. Even back then, the hype around Jackson was evident. Some believed he would eventually become one of the best, while others thought he still had more to prove to reach that status.

A fan stated, “The Ravens history is so stacked with studs, if Jackson is the best player in Ravens history, the Ravens will win 4 or 5 superbowls.”

Another one wrote, “If he wins 1 and keeps the pace he is on stats wise. If he wins 2 definitely”

A Reddit user mentioned, “Ray Lewis, JO, Ed Reed, even Justin Tucker. “Best player in Ravens history” is a pretty damn high mark. I’d love to have a few years of postseason ball with Lamar.”

Someone else said, “lamar has a lot of SBs to get. ray played sooo long at such a high level and won two. i hope lamar can do the same”

A football enthusiast expressed, “It’d be incredibly difficult for Lamar to surpass Ed Reed or Ogden, let alone Ray Lewis. At the very minimum, he’d have to make the Hall of Fame. So, we’ll see how that ends up.”

After Ray Lewis retired in 2013, the Ravens discovered a new star in their 26-year-old QB, who still has a lot of football left in him. The 2023 season stands out as one of his best, boasting a 13-3 record and reaching a career-high of 3678 yards, 24 touchdowns, and only 7 interceptions. Jackson stands a strong chance to secure a Super Bowl victory this season, and if he achieves that, it could silence the critics who remain dissatisfied due to his absence from the Super Bowl winners’ circle.