Former Louisville Cardinal and current Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson has one final hurdle to overcome to silence any legitimate criticism forever.
As we approach Lamar Jackson’s second career playoff start on Saturday against the Tennessee Titans, the second-year quarterback from Pompano Beach, Florida has one final thing to prove: that he can win when it matters the most.
Jackson’s career has been built off of proving the doubters wrong.
As a high school recruit, he spurned offers from tons of big-name schools to play at Louisville where he was promised a chance at playing quarterback.
Jackson won the starting job by the second game of his freshman season.
Jackson went on to break dozens of school records in a jaw-dropping Heisman trophy season. But criticism still abounded in 2017. Many thought Jackson could not replicate his efforts in his junior season as his game became more predictable.
Jackson went on to break his own school rushing record and improve upon his passing numbers from the year prior. He finished second in the Heisman voting.
Pundits suggested that Jackson switch to receiver or running back if he were ever to make it in the NFL. Jackson refused.
Experts told Jackson to hire an agent. He was criticized for using his mom as his representative.
People said Jackson was a one-trick pony, the next Robert Griffin, and not in the same league as Michael Vick.
Jackson led the NFL in passing touchdowns in his first full season, while also leading the league in yards per carry.
Jackson broke Vicks record for rushing yards by a quarterback in a single season. He led his team to 11 consecutive victories to end the regular season as Baltimore earned the No.1 seed in the AFC for the first time ever.
Everything that Lamar Jackson’s detractors said he couldn’t be, he has become. He wins games, he handles himself professionally on and off the field, and he does so in ways that they have never been done before.
Still, the criticism keeps coming. After all, he took over a sub-.500 team mid-season in 2018 and led the Ravens to 6 wins in 7 games, yet the only thing that talking heads wanted to discuss all offseason was his playoff loss to the LA Chargers.
Nevermind that Jackson was playing in a system that wasn’t designed for his game. Nevermind that there were not many weapons at his disposal, and nevermind that he was learning on the fly, only able to utilize a small section of offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg’s playbook. Nevermind that Jackson was, and still is, the youngest quarterback to ever start a playoff game.
People wanted to critique Jackson’s game. The same people that made excuses for Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, and Josh Rosen (all quarterbacks drafted in front of Jackson in 2018) wanted reason to doubt Jackson.
So the criticism remains. Until Saturday.
When the Ravens defeat the Tennesse Titans on Saturday night, anyone who has ever tried to take away from Jackson’s success will no longer have a single valid criticism.
Jackson has received more hatred and more doubt than any other quarterback in the league over the last decade, yet he is the one who is taking the NFL by storm.
Lamar Jackson is turning haters into believers, and he is only getting started.