The Baltimore Ravens have many players who play big roles for the team on a weekly basis on the field. The combination of stars and role players contribute to their success, and it shows with how they’ve been able to consistently be competitive almost every year.
When listing out one under-appreciated player on each AFC team, Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports named Baltimore’s biggest star as his choice for the Ravens in quarterback Lamar Jackson. Kerr talked about the multitude of accomplishments the quarterback has achieved in such a short span, asking what the former Louisville star has to do to earn his respect.
“What does Lamar Jackson have to do to earn the respect he deserves? Since Jackson took over as the Ravens’ starter in Week 11 of the 2018 season, Baltimore is 37-12 — a .755 winning percentage. He’s the first quarterback in league history to reach 35 career victories before the age of 25 and is already seventh all-time in rushing yards (3,673) among NFL quarterbacks…Jackson is the fastest quarterback in league history to reach 5,000 passing yards and 2,000 rushing yards (35 games), and his 10 100-yard rushing games are tied with Michael Vick for the most in league history. He also is the only quarterback to rush for 1,000 yards in a season twice. His five games with 200 passing yards and 100 rushing yards are the most in league history…When Jackson is on the field, the Ravens win. He’s highly underappreciated around the league.”
Jackson’s success on the field sometimes gets swept under the rug due to his playing style, which is completely unreasonable based off of what he’s done for the Ravens’ franchise over the course of his first four years in the NFL. Baltimore wouldn’t be where they are today without him, and despite his accomplishments is still unfairly disrespected.