Lamar Jackson is one of the most well-known athletes in the NFL community. Not just for his athletic prowess, nor his reputation as a dual-threat QB. Perhaps he is much more known for the 2 years he has spent tussling with his team, the Baltimore Ravens, for a fully guaranteed contract. While many think his recent injury absence is just another play to push his agenda, NFL Network’s Jim Trotter feels otherwise.
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Speaking on ‘NFL Now’, he says Jackson is far too considerate of his teammates to even think about sitting out the playoffs to force his issue. He says, “If Lamar has a grade-2 sprain, a PCL sprain, even if he gets back on the field for the playoffs, he is not going to be the same Lamar that we know.”
“From that standpoint, I think you could see where John Harbaugh was on this. In that there’s not a lot you can do physically if he’s not ready,” he adds. ” And clearly, physically, he is not ready. I hate to hear the contract situation brought into this because if you know Lamar, that’s not what he’s about in terms of, he wants to be there for his guys.”
Jim Trotter feels Lamar Jackson will give his best to do right by his teammates
On the show, Trotter recalls a specific incident with Lamar Jackson that led him to truly believe in his selfless nature. He says, “I remember going back to the day after the draft. And saying to Lamar, ‘If you have a chance for the Hall of Fame, a Gold Jacket, or a Super Bowl Trophy, which would you take?’. And without hesitation, he said, ‘A Vince Lombardi (Super Bowl) trophy’.”
“Why? Because that means he’s done something special for him and his teammates. He is not that individual, egotistical guy. I don’t believe this is about the contract. I believe this is truly about his health. And him wanting to be right so that he can perform for his teammates,” he says.
Jackson suffered an injury to his left knee during the Ravens’ week 12 game against the Denver Broncos. Since then, the Ravens offense has struggled massively. In the 5 games that Jackson did not play, they could only manage an average of 13 points per game. What’s more, they could only score 4 touchdowns in total. Both stats are the lowest in the league in that specific time period.
The rumors about Jackson holding out on his team are not unreasonable. For the last two years, the Ravens have constantly denied him what everyone in the league thinks is a justifiable demand for a player of his caliber. A fully guaranteed contract, something the Ravens have difficulty accepting for some reason.
Unfortunately for Lamar Jackson, the Ravens have a trick up their sleeve, called a Franchise Tag. Jackson is already on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal. This means the Ravens will most definitely put the Franchise Tag on him. To prevent him from being a free agent. This might not go down well with him at all. Also, such a move will most definitely cost the Ravens either a lot of money, or an HoF-level QB.
