Back in December, Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young and other noteworthy members of the NFL community voiced concerns about how Baltimore Ravens star signal-caller Lamar Jackson was playing coming off a right hamstring injury that sidelined him for three games.
Jackson turned just 29 years old this past January, so one would think that the two-time regular-season Most Valuable Player should still be in his physical prime. Current Atlanta Falcons president and one-time MVP Matt Ryan thinks new Ravens head coach Jesse Minter must come up with game plans that both keep Jackson healthy and also use all of his physical gifts.
Ravens, Lamar Jackson need to find a right balance
“As you age, as you get older, you realize your availability and being able to go week in and week out is almost just as important as your ability to take off and go,” Ryan said while speaking about Jackson during a chat with ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. “So I think finding that balance for the remainder of his career, that’s going to be what they have to figure out. But I just don’t think stripping him of that, because I think that I’ve often said, I thought when he is at his best, he’s probably the most difficult player in the league to game plan for for defensive coordinators.”
Hensley pointed out that Jackson’s 5.2 rushing attempts per start for 2025 were the lowest of his pro career, which began in 2018. According to the NFL’s website, Jackson’s 5.2 yards per carry this season was his lowest since his rookie campaign (4.7).
The Ravens are expected to sign Jackson to an expensive contract extension this offseason. As much as they’ll want him to be healthy for 17 starts each campaign while he’s being paid what he’s worth, part of his value involves him using his legs to torch opposing defenses.
“I do think when you take a little bit of that away, it’s one less thing for a defense to account for and maybe doesn’t open up some of the other things that when he’s rolling like that, it does,” Ryan added about Jackson being a dual-threat weapon.
That said, Hall of Famer Kurt Warner worries that Jackson’s body could “break down” ahead of schedule if Jackson endures the type of punishment that caused him to miss 11 games (playoffs included) from Week 1 of the 2021 season through the 2022 campaign.
Kurt Warner: Lamar Jackson can’t let injuries affect confidence
While speaking with Hensley, Warner also remembered how Jackson previously told former head coach John Harbaugh that he was “just playing ball” and “just doing what I do” during games.
“That always stuck in my mind, because sometimes that’s kind of the nature of some guys is just kind of like, ‘I’m just reacting to what I see and I’m just playing. I think whatever I have to do, I’m just doing it. I’m not overthinking anything,'” Warner explained. “And maybe that is an aspect of where it’s at now after the injury is maybe he is overthinking it a little bit, maybe he is like, ‘I don’t want to take off and run. I don’t want to get hurt or I don’t want to put myself in harm’s way.'”
Ryan mentioned that he’s confident Jackson will still “have an opportunity to win a Super Bowl” during his career. Jackson possesses a playoff record of 3-5 as a starter, and one wonders how many more postseason starts he’ll have left in the tank if he finds himself “overthinking” during future campaigns.