“There seems to be a flagrant detachment” - Stephen A. Smith blasts Lamar Jackson for skipping Ravens' Wild Card contest
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been dealing with a PCL injury since Week 13. The quarterback hasn't played since then and didn't make the trip to Cincinnati to watch his Ravens take on the Bengals in the Wild Card matchup.
In the days leading up to the playoff game between the AFC North rivals, it was becoming increasingly clear that the quarterback wasn't going to play. But the fact that he didn't make the trip with his team to show support caught a lot of people off guard.
Lamar Jackson posted this to his Instagram story 👀 https://t.co/XdstLaE9op
On ESPN's Get Up on Monday morning, Stephen A. Smith said that he was surprised that Jackson didn't make the trip to support his team. He said that considering there is an ongoing contract negotiation and he wants the team to invest in him, the quarterback should've been on the sidelines.
Smith said that from his experience covering the NFL and working with former players, he always thought that not traveling with the team was frowned upon.
He said:
“As it pertains to Lamar Jackson. Listen, you're trying to negotiate a contract extension and you don't even show up to cheer on your teammates? I've been listening to Ryan Kellogg, Dan Orlovsky and various other NFL aficionados for years. That's something that's usually frowned upon."
Stephen A. Smith continued by saying that considering Lamar Jackson missed the final five games of the season, he really expected him to show support for his team from the sidelines. He said that this could be a tell-tale sign that it's time for the Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson to part ways:
"There seems to be a flagrant detachment there. I think it's on purpose and I think that the evidence is there, the clues are there, and I think they might need to move on from him or he may need to move on from them.”
As the season comes to a close for the Baltimore Ravens, it has become quite clear that there may be some turmoil within the organization.
What did Lamar Jackson say about his knee injury?
On Thursday, the Baltimore Ravens quarterback took to Twitter to discuss his knee injury. The quarterback announced that he wouldn't be playing in the Wild Card game against the Cincinnati Bengals as his knee was 'unstable'.
Thank you everyone for your support and concerns regarding my injuries. I want to give you all an update as I am in the recovery process. I’ve suffered a PCL grade 2 sprain on the borderline of a strain 3. There is still inflammation surrounding my knee and my knee
remains unstable. I’m still in good spirits, as I continue with treatments on the road to recovery. I wish I could be out there with my guys more than anything but I can’t give a 100% of myself to my guys and fans I’m still hopeful we still have a chance. 💜💜
He explained that he is still undergoing treatment for his knee. He then went on to say that he wished he could have been out there playing and that he was hopeful that the Ravens had a chance.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Get Up and H/T Sportskeeda