Lamar Jackson has consistently come up short in the postseason, despite having a good team around him. He could be on the verge of winning his third MVP award but has only reached the AFC Championship game once — last year when the Baltimore Ravens lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. The empty Lombardi Trophy shelf is quite a glaring void for Stephen A. Smith, who believes that if Lamar does win the highly-coveted MVP award this season, people won’t care, even those from Baltimore.
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“Lamar Jackson, in all likelihood, is going to be named an MVP for the third time in his career,” Stephen A. said on the latest episode of First Take. “I challenge anybody to show me somebody who’s going to win the MVP award, and at that moment, how little folks are going to care. Nobody in Baltimore, nobody in the NFL other than your contemporaries… Nobody really cares. Because we know that greatness demands more than that trophy.”
While Stephen A. comes across as brutal, it’s true people would discount the award more this time around. Lamar still doesn’t have a championship win. Then again, his individual accolades can’t be brushed aside either.
Lamar would become just the seventh player in NFL history to secure that many awards alongside the likes of Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Aaron Rodgers, to name a few. It would be a historic achievement that should be celebrated rather than dismissed.
Is Lamar’s Championship “Inevitable”?
The First Take crew began discussing Jackson based on what Ravens fullback, Patrick Ricard, said about his impending free agency. Following the Ravens’ Divisional Round loss, Ricard told reporters he believes Jackson is a special player and that it’s only a matter of time before he wins a Super Bowl. The fullback also expressed his desire to be part of Jackson’s first championship.
“It’s inevitable he’s going to win a Super Bowl and I want to be a part of it. It just sucks it hasn’t happened yet. I personally feel bad for him because he deserves it, just because of how great a player he is. He deserves to be considered one of the best quarterbacks — he already is, but I know everyone considers championships the standard. He’ll get it one day,” Ricard told reporters.
It’s hard not to feel bad for Lamar. A player of his quality should have at least appeared in a Super Bowl by now. But he tends to commit huge mistakes in the biggest moments. However, this time around, it wasn’t Lamar’s fault.
The Ravens lost 27-25 to the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round last Sunday. Sure, Lamar had a costly fumble that shifted the momentum of the game. And he threw an early interception too. But when it mattered most late in the game, it was Mark Andrews who let him and the team down.
To make matters worse, Lamar’s top receivers, Rashod Bateman and Zay Flowers, were sidelined due to injuries. Andrews likely dropped the two-point pass because he was fatigued from running routes typically assigned to wide receivers.
It’s just a tough loss that Lamar and Baltimore need to take on the chin. There will be other opportunities in the future for this team to get over the hump. As Ricard hoped, Lamar’s career arc could play out similarly to how Manning’s did.
Manning started his playoff career like Lamar; 3-5 and only one AFC Championship appearance with the Indianapolis Colts. His obstacle was Brady, which he ultimately cleared. Lamar’s biggest obstacles so far have been Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. But the 28-year-old could still have another 10 years left in the tank to clear those hurdles.
Like Ricard said, “There’s still time. He’s still young. He’s definitely gonna get one at some point.”
Nothing in life is guaranteed. But if you were to place a bet on whether Lamar will win a championship before his career ends, you would take that chance.
