Lamar Jackson's style of play could be reason behind Ravens stalling contract negotiation
Lamar Jackson has a style of quarterback play that has come into question lately. The Baltimore Ravens quarterback is known for taking the game into his own hands and has been the team’s leading rusher over the last few seasons.
However, there is concern that the number of hits he takes could lead to a career riddled by injury.
Rob Ninkovich is a former NFL linebacker and defensive end-turned-analyst who spent most of his career with the New England Patriots. He appeared on ESPN’s morning show Get Up to discuss why Jackson doesn’t have a new contract from the Ravens.
"I would pay Lamar because I think he's that good of a football player. These guys are smart. They do the analytics. You think they do all that stuff about football players at their height and weight and they don't do anything about contact?"
Ninkovich also commented on Jackson's likelihood for suffering injuries in the future.
"Hembo (show producer) gave me a stat line which is pretty crazy to think (about). Lamar has been hit 821 times in his short career. So, I can tell you the team is looking at the amount of contact that he receives and in longevity, the next four to five years, can he sustain that kind of contact without his game changing?"
With such a large number of quarterback hits on Jackson, it’s no wonder the Ravens are hesitant to offer a massive deal to their quarterback. Hits that led to injuries ended the careers of many quarterbacks who were likely to run with the ball.
The most recent examples are of Robert Griffin III and Andrew Luck, although the latter was hit more often due to a poor offensive line.
Lamar Jackson may have to become more willing to pass to ensure a healthy future to his NFL career
Lamar Jackson’s 2021 season was cut short with an ankle injury in Week 14 and he spent the remainder of the year on the sidelines. The Ravens missed the playoffs and this offseason, lost wide receiver Marquese “Hollywood” Brown to a trade.
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Brown said he felt like he wasn’t a good fit for the Raven’s offense, which many translated as the wideout expressing a desire for more targets from a quarterback who was less prone to run.
In the end, Jackson may have to make some adjustments to his game to get the contract he wants.