For the most part, it was a throwaway moment on Thursday. Lamar Jackson was speaking to reporters, remixing some oft-recycled clichés from top-tier teams in December — waxing about being underdogs, not paying attention to outside noise, but also fielding a roster of players who felt like they needed to prove something.
Naturally, the next question posed to Jackson was whether the quarterback believed he was one of the Ravens who had something to prove.
“To myself,” Jackson said, “Absolutely.”
For years, the way we’ve framed the Lamar Jackson journey has almost always been from the outside in, constantly measuring how coaches, scouts or general managers looked at his talent and ability. And the reflection of that vantage eventually became a miscalculated narrative about why Jackson was doing things his way, rather than following the dictation of the systems around him.
He’s doing it his way to prove something to others, we thought.
That included committing to Louisville on the promise that he would play only quarterback. Refusing to consider a transition to wide receiver after a scout from the Los Angeles Chargers suggested it. Declining to sign with a traditional agent after entering the NFL Draft. Passing on the 40-yard dash and agility drills at the league’s annual scouting combine. Working with a little-known quarterback guru whose day job was teaching high school English. Sliding to the final pick in the first round of the 2018 draft, then delivering a feisty stare into an NFL Network camera with a message: “I’m a Raven. It’s on. All year, every year. … They gonna get a Super Bowl outta me. Believe that.” And most recently, pushing his contract negotiations to limits that briefly made him the highest paid player in NFL history.
There are so many examples of Lamar Jackson betting on Lamar Jackson, all typically misunderstood as attempts to prove something to someone else. Yet, when asked Thursday if he had something to prove, he pointed inward.
To myself.
That message should resonate as the Ravens head into a gargantuan matchup with the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. This journey hasn’t been about illustrating something from the outside to the inside. Indeed, it’s been inside-in for Jackson from the start. At this point, arguably no player in league history has bet on himself and won so consistently and overwhelmingly than Baltimore’s quarterback.
And with a win Sunday, Baltimore would lock up the No. 1 playoff seed in the AFC. Paired with a good performance, the Ravens star would continue to fortify his case as the league’s MVP. Those are two meaningful accomplishments that would prove plenty to the outside world, but far less than what Jackson would be proving to himself.
In many respects, we’ve learned a considerable number of things about Jackson this season. We’ve come to realize, once again, how utterly foolish it was for him to come off the board as the fifth quarterback in 2018 — behind the likes of Baker Mayfield, Sam Darold, Josh Allen and Josh Rosen. And we’ve been taught that history can repeat itself in spite of demonstrable evidence of a prior mistake, when exactly zero teams inquired about a Jackson trade this offseason.
The Atlanta Falcons, who run an offense suited to Jackson, could have called. The New England Patriots liked Jackson a great deal in the draft, but took running back Sony Michel one pick ahead of his selection. Had they attempted to correct that error this past offseason, we might not be talking about the tenuous future of head coach Bill Belichick. Jackson could have shifted the trajectories of the New York Giants, New York Jets or Washington Commanders, among others.
Clearly, mistakes were made elsewhere. But not in Baltimore, which not only gave Jackson the bag he sought, but also went straight to work retooling and redesigning the offense around him. The results have been promising and sustainable, turning Jackson into the most balanced version of himself, capable of consistently winning games from inside and outside the pocket.
His NFL contemporaries have taken notice this season, too. Heading into a game with the Ravens last week, San Francisco 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa remarked that Jackson had molded himself into a more complete player since their last meeting in 2019. Prior to Baltimore facing Jacksonville, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson noted that Jackson was operating more of the offense from inside the pocket. And earlier in December, Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay invoked memories of Jackson’s MVP campaign in 2019 when talking about his play this season.
This week, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel talked about it all being a testament to Jackson’s insistence on going his own way.
“[To] watch his game progress each and every year, he has the same running ability, which is as good as there is in football, regardless of position. Like unbelievable,” McDaniel said. “He is that same player and has developed every year in the pass game. You can tell he has a chip on his shoulder. … I’m just happy for the player because what I recognize is you talk about an unbelievable talent, but even him, he’s had to define himself. He’s had people tell him what he is and he disagrees. How can I tell? It’s not because I’ve had a conversation with him. I see [it] better than I hear [it].”
Of course, it has gone beyond schematic changes and Jackson’s development in the game, too. Long known inside the franchise for having an affinity for candy, Jackson’s diet has changed significantly as he has moved forward in his career. Along with it, his dedication to the weight room has produced a player who is stronger and has more endurance than at any other point in his career. It’s a reality that Dolphins safety DeShon Elliott — who was drafted by Baltimore in the same class as Jackson and played with him for three years — noted this week.
“Now I think he takes care of his body a lot more, eating right, working out the way he should,” Elliott said. “He’s always been a natural leader, but I think he’s taken on the role of a leader. He’s an MVP player. He’s fantastic. Back in the day, we would [call him], ‘Lamarvelous.’ He’s great, and all you can do is try to contain him. There’s no stopping Lamar Jackson, but you can try to contain him as much as you can.”
Come Sunday, we’ll see if Miami can do it. Conversely, we’ll see if Jackson can add another significant win to an MVP candidacy that has already picked up significant momentum with impressive December wins over the Rams, Jaguars and 49ers. That run and Jackson’s progression into a more balanced threat has elevated Baltimore into the clearest Super Bowl favorite in the league, despite protests that are getting less believable by the week.
“I believe we’ve got a bunch of guys who’ve been doubted, a bunch of guys who’ve got things to prove — on our team — on both sides of the ball,” Jackson said. “So, I believe anytime we’re the underdogs, we’re going to always rise to the occasion. But we’ve got to stay locked in to do that. … We’re the underdogs.”
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