Ravens' Lamar Jackson Responds To Coach's Comments

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh recently suggested Lamar Jackson could retire as the league's greatest quarterback, but that's a long ways away.

Jon Alfano | Jul 30, 2024

Feb 8, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Lamar Jackson during the NFL Hall of Fame Class of 2024 press conference at Resorts World Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

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Baltimore Ravens

No matter how much criticism Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson faces, just or not, he knows that his teammates and coaches will always have his back.

Recently, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh gave a passionate defense of his signal-caller, asserting that the ultimate goal is for him to "be known and be recognized as the greatest quarterback to ever play." That's an extremely high bar to set, and who knows if Jackson will ever get to that point.

On Monday, Jackson publicly responded to his coaches comments for the first time. While he appreciates Harbaugh's confidence in him, Jackson decided to remain humble in his response.

"I'm not the GOAT, Tom Brady [is] the GOAT. Tom Brady [is] the GOAT," Jackson told reporters. "Yes, I believe that's motivation – I appreciate that; I'm still on my way."

To even get close to that point, Jackson has to add at least one Lombardi to his hardware collection. That's been the main criticism of him for most of his career, and the two-time MVP is dying to silence those critics once and for all.

"That's been the first checkbox for me since 2018. I said that [on] April 26 – whenever I was drafted – I said that, and I meant that. This is the highest level of the game we play. You've got to go out a champion, and that's what I want to be labeled as – a champion. [I don't] just want to be labeled as MVP [Most Valuable Player] here and there; I want to be a champion."

As much as some critics won't like to admit, Jackson, who's entering his seventh NFL season, isn't the only quarterback to not win a Super Bowl early on. Even some of the all-time greats such as Peyton Manning and John Elway took a while to win their first rings, not doing so until their ninth and 15th seasons, respectively.

As Jackson continues to chase his first championship, he knows that keeping perspective in mind is critical.

"Patience is key. Only a few quarterbacks have won a Super Bowl in the last few years. A lot of people haven't won. But I'm focusing on me, and I just want [a Super Bowl] really bad. I focus on what I can control and go from there."

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Published Jul 30, 2024

JON ALFANO