"Mr. Jackson showed the hell up and showed the hell out" - Former NFL player believes Lamar Jackson should be paid mega contract for saving Ravens' organization
The Baltimore Ravens, by their own high standards, had a dismal 2021 season by finishing last in the AFC North division and missing the playoffs.
The bulk of that was directly related to star quarterback Lamar Jackson missing the final four games with a severe ankle injury.
The former Heisman Trophy winner is now in the midst of a contract dispute with the organization. ESPN NFL analyst Dominique Foxworth spoke on the morning show Get Up and had this to say about why Jackson deserves a mega deal as all of the "next-up" quarterbacks have:
"I absolutely think that has to be the trend that we go with. Why would we stop it now? It's like the next quarterback that is up gets the highest deal. Even if it's not someone who's been as successful as Lamar. It's really hard to argue that he doesn't deserve it, considering that over the past three years, I think Patrick Mahomes is the only quarterback with a better QBR."
Foxworth continued his thoughts by offering the following:
"Now, you can argue that anyone means more to a specific team, a specific city than Lamar Jackson. When he came in that rookie year, he saved a lot of jobs. There's a lot of people in the building that are still Baltimore Ravens champions because Mr. Jackson showed the hell up and showed the hell out." - Dominique Foxworth, Get Up
Can the Baltimore Ravens get to the playoffs in 2022 without Lamar Jackson?
The 2021 Baltimore Ravens finished the season with a record of 8-9 and barely missed the playoffs. Lamar Jackson dealt with nagging injuries all year long but was ultimately unable to play in the last four games due to a severe bone bruise in his ankle.
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The backup, Tyler Huntley, was admirable as a replacement, although it still left something on the football field. He finished the season with 1,081 passing yards, three touchdowns, and four interceptions, which was good for a QBR of only 49.
While Huntley proved to be a more than a capable backup, it was painfully obvious that he wasn't Lamar Jackson. Baltimore would love to have their star signal-caller back in the fold as the starter and Huntley as the top backup.
Huntley has missed the mandatory minicamps with what looks to be an undisclosed injury.
Ravens not practicing Wednesday:
QB Tyler Huntley (undisclosed)
RB J.K. Dobbins (knee)
RB Gus Edwards (knee)
OT Ronnie Stanley (ankle)
LB Tyus Bowser (Achilles)
LB David Ojabo (Achilles)
CB Marcus Peters (knee)
S Ar’Darius Washington (foot)
NT Michael Pierce (personal reasons)
Jackson's stats took a hit in 2021 due to injuries. He threw for only 2,882 yards, 16 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, which yielded a QBR of 50.7.
The former Louisville Cardinals standout is currently embroiled in a contract dispute but both teams have expressed a bit of optimism, hoping that a deal can get done soon.
But if the team takes the field without the 2019 NFL MVP, it will be a long season for the Baltimore Ravens.