It has been popular to bash Lamar Jackson’s throwing ability ever since he became the Baltimore Ravens‘ starting quarterback in 2018.
But according to his coach, John Harbaugh, those naysayers are wrong and have been all along.
Harbaugh called Jackson a “historically good passer” on ESPN on Wednesday, ahead of Jackson’s eighth season.
Jackson is a two-time Associated Press NFL MVP and was the runner-up for the award a year ago. But Jackson was given the 2024 MVP by the Pro Football Writers Association, ahead of AP MVP Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills.
What Did John Harbaugh Say About Lamar Jackson?
Critics continue to question Jackson’s passing ability, but at this rate they are objectively wrong.
Jackson had a 2024 season for the ages, where he led all NFL quarterbacks in rushing yards (915) but also had as many rushing touchdowns (4) as interceptions. Jackson also posted a career-high 4,172 passing yards and 41 passing touchdowns — becoming the first-ever QB to throw 40-plus TDs and fewer than five INTs in a season — helping the Ravens reach the AFC Divisional Playoffs.
That, coupled with Jackson’s MVP season in 2023, left Harbaugh in awe.
“He is a historically good passer,” Harbaugh said on ESPN’s “This is Football” show Wednesday. “That’s really quite a statement because of the narrative that’s been surrounding him ever since the beginning. Lamar Jackson can throw the football. He can throw it every kind of way, he can make every kind of throw, any kind [of] way you want.
Because he is such a historically prolific runner, Jackson’s passing numbers actually fly under the radar. Aside from his 70-24 career record, he has 166 touchdowns to just 49 interceptions in 103 career games with the Ravens and has only one season with double-digit picks in his career.
“He’s as good as any passer that there’s ever been — and I think now the numbers are proving that,” Harbaugh said. “So I’m kind of a little bit proud of [that], but [I’m] also a little bit like, ‘OK, here we go, what have we learned from that?’”
How Did Lamar Jackson Become A ‘Historically Great Passer?’
Jackson was maligned for his throwing ability coming out of Louisville, which is why he fell to Baltimore at the 32nd overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft. He is still bashed for his struggles in the playoffs, since he had 10 touchdowns and seven picks in eight postseason games.
But, according to Harbaugh, Jackson’s work ethic unparalleled, and he produced an interesting analogy to prove his point.
“I’d say the work that you do — if you’re going to be good at anything, great at anything, you’ve got to work at it all the time,” Harbaugh said. “I read a story just recently about a classical piano player, he’s 95 years old, and he’s working six to eight hours a day on playing the piano, and they ask him, ‘Why do you still work six to eight hours on the piano?’ And his comment was, ‘I feel like I’m just starting to make some progress.
“So, that daily, everyday working at your craft kind of thing, I think, is what Lamar does.”
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