A recent report claimed that Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh had grown “tired of” quarterback Lamar Jackson, in part because Jackson had allegedly fallen asleep in team meetings and developed a reputation for playing video games late into the night. The story also suggested that Jackson may prefer to play for a different team as soon as next season.
Harbaugh later defended Jackson. On Thursday, the two-time Most Valuable Player Award winner hit back at what was said about him in what’s become a controversial column.
Lamar Jackson makes feelings on Ravens clear
“Absolutely, man,” Jackson said when asked if he wants to remain with the Ravens, per the club’s website. “Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. I don’t even know where that comes from.”
Jackson also insisted he does not play video games “at like one or two in the morning” even during the summer months.
“Do you think Harbaugh would let me fall asleep in his meeting? That’s crazy,” Jackson continued. “I’m right in the front. I don’t know, man. It is what it is, though. Like I said, it’s just noise. I just play football.”
Is Lamar Jackson fueled by recent questions about his dedication to the cause?
Jackson is on track to play football when the 8-8 Ravens face the 9-7 Pittsburgh Steelers at Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium this coming Sunday night. The winner of that game will advance to the playoffs as champions of the AFC North, while the loser will see its season end.
Jackson was unable to play in Baltimore’s Week 17 win over the Green Bay Packers because of a
“pretty significant” back bruise. On Thursday, he responded to those who felt he should’ve toughed it out for that contest.
“Someone probably thinks I’m a robot, but I’m a human being, too,” he said. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t avoid that injury when it happened. But, we got to win in Green Bay, [and] I’m looking forward to playing on Sunday. So, it is what it is.”
As of Friday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook continued to list the Ravens as 3.5-point road favorites over the Steelers. Jackson hinted that he doesn’t need any extra motivation from the outside heading into that must-win matchup.
“I don’t really care about the criticism,” Jackson added. ‘It’s going to be that way, especially with how the season was going and stuff like that. When you’re winning, there’s no noise, but [as] soon as you lose, or things don’t look right, all types of noise come out of nowhere. So, it is what it is.”