Lamar Jackson won NFL league MVP in his first full season as a starter, just like Patrick Mahomes. Now, Steve Young has doubled down and said that Jackson has GOAT potential if used correctly.
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Lamar Jackson is considered as one of the future great quarterbacks in the league right now. His dual threat capability between rushing and passing has already won him a league MVP title.
Jackson has a record of 37-12 in 49 career starts. In these games he has 83 passing touchdowns and 20 rushing touchdowns to go with 31 interceptions.
These are very good numbers for a young quarterback. And to top it all off, Jackson will be only 25 years old in this upcoming season.
However, Jackson has faltered in the playoffs and has not been able to recreate the same success. Jackson has a record of just 1-3 in the playoffs. Analysts and fans claim this is due to Jackson relying on his rushing ability when situations are tough.
This is backed by statistics and the eye test, where Jackson has a tendency to not show up in the passing game in the playoffs. Over 5 games, Jackson has only passed for 900 yards and thrown for 3 touchdowns while throwing for 5 interceptions. However, NFL legend Steve Young claims the fault is the Ravens’ and not Lamar’s.
“Lamar Jackson could be the GOAT if the Ravens developed their passing game around him”
Young’s take is one that could be heavily biased. Young is known for his time spent with the San Francisco 49ers where he was the start of a new era for rushing quarterbacks. Young also won a Super Bowl with the team after Joe Montana.
But, it is not too far fetched to say that Young might be correct. Jackson has unheralded ability to rush the ball and just needs to work on his passing game. If he flourishes in both aspects, it will be hard to stop the Baltimore Ravens.
However, the problem is that the Ravens are noncommittal to this method. They just traded away their WR1, Marquise Brown, with no replacement. Their best pass catcher is their TE, Mark Andrews.
It will be interesting to see if Lamar can develop his passing game without much help. The offensive coordinator, Greg Roman, and the organization seem bent on utilizing Lamar’s rushing ability much more than his passing.
Perhaps, Jackon’s extension can rival Patrick Mahomes’ $503 million deal with the Chiefs that spans 10-years. Steve Young certainly thinks it could.
