Why Lamar Jackson's injury was predictable the day he was drafted
Lamar Jackson was taken by the Ravens at the end of the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Jackson was taken 32nd overall and many pundits instantly responded.
Some said it was a mistake. Others said it was the best move the Ravens had made in quite some time.
What most said, however, was some variation of how it was going to affect incumbent quarterback Joe Flacco.
That said, few were talking about the potential for injuries in his career. They should have been.
Between the style of his game, the violent nature of football, and precedents set by history, Jackson's ankle injury reported by CBS Sports should have been seen as inevitable. Here's why.
Lamar Jackson's style of play
It's no secret that Lamar Jackson's biggest asset coming out of college was his legs. At the quarterback position, there had been few quarterbacks that were able to get into Jackson's range of speed.
Most players in general have trouble keeping up with Jackson.
From @GMFB: #Ravens QB Lamar Jackson will have tests on his sprained ankle today, while #Bills QB Josh Allen is believed to have a mild case of turf toe, but he vowed postgame it was no “big deal.” https://t.co/X1w6aQYilW
While Jackson's speed was unmatched at the position, his arm was matched very well. Lamar Jackson's accuracy with the football was his biggest flaw as a player coming out of college.
As such, a quarterback who is electric with his legs but flawed with his arm was going to create an imperative to run extra with Jackson.
Also Read: 3 reasons Lamar Jackson is primed to win a second NFL MVP award
Not only was it set to be more tempting for Jackson to run, but it was also set up to encourage coaches to lean more heavily on the running game with Jackson. Once Jackson began to run more, he opened himself up to more injuries.
Generally speaking, Jackson's skillset opened him up for more injuries as it encouraged him to leave the pocket more often.
The influence of Michael Vick
Lamar Jackson is a force in the NFL, but there is a somewhat close precedent. Michael Vick was a quarterback back in the 2000s who had a very similar skillset to Jackson.
He could run as well as any player in the league, but his throwing abilities weren't the best.
Vick went on to catch the league by storm. From 2002-2005, Vick was well below a 60 percent completion percentage. However, his teams went 38-28-1 and Vick set the league on fire, making the playoffs twice in three years.
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However, as his career continued, Vick became increasingly more injury prone. His last full season was in 2006 and never was able to start more than 10 games in a season before retiring after 2015.
Lamar Jackson has a similar skillset to Vick and similar instincts. As such, the quarterback has been going down the same path for a while.
The more Jackson scrambles, the closer he comes to sharing Vick's fate. Vick's career arc was known back in 2018 and foreshadowed what Jackson could be and how it could go. It seems that history is repeating itself.