Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson dramatically improved as a passer from his rookie campaign to his second season. Already well known for the damage he can do on the ground with his legs, Jackson worked hard last offseason to improve his mechanics and develop better accuracy when throwing the football.
The results were pretty magical as Jackson led the league in passing touchdowns and put together two perfect 158.3 passer-rating outings while playing in just 15 games (less if you want to count the five fourth quarters he was rested in). Though Jackson is the frontrunner for the NFL’s MVP award this season on the back of his impressive passing performance, he doesn’t think he’s perfect yet.
At the 2020 NFL Pro Bowl, Jackson talked to former quarterback Michael Vick, who has been like a mentor. According to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, Jackson said Vick was pleased to hear the young quarterback was going to continue practicing this offseason before the Ravens rejoin for training camp.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson spoke with Michael Vick yesterday. "One thing he's satisfied with is that I'm going to train early rather than wait for training camp and get back to it. I'm going to get back to it so I can be prepared."
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) January 23, 2020
Jackson worked with two different quarterback coaches last offseason, including guru Tom House — who has helped train other legends like Tom Brady and Drew Brees. While Jackson didn’t fully elaborate on his offseason plans and if he was going to be training with House again this year, the improvement seen from his first year to his second was impressive enough to get excited about the possibilities.
But that also points to the humility Jackson has shown over his short career. While Jackson clearly knows he’s something special, he hasn’t been afraid of criticism, at times coming from himself. All too often this season, Jackson went to the podium after games and told reporters about plays he wished he had back, not throwing his teammates under the bus for drops or poor route running. Even in games where Jackson was nearly perfect, he pointed out specific plays where he could have been even better.
If Jackson earned a Pro Bowl, All-Pro and likely MVP nod this season largely thanks to his improvement as a passer, any further development seems like icing on the cake.
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