Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh made a bold statement about his star quarterback, Lamar Jackson, declaring him a future contender for the title of the greatest quarterback in NFL history.
While the NFL has seen legendary quarterbacks like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Joe Montana, and Dan Marino (just to name a few), Harbaugh believes Jackson has the potential to surpass them all.
However, as the Ravens kicked off their training camp, Jackson himself downplayed his coach’s high praise.
“The GOAT? I’m not the GOAT. Tom Brady is the GOAT,” Jackson stated.
Harbaugh’s proclamation caught the attention of many in the football world, sparking discussions and raising eyebrows.
“The vision that we have together is that Lamar Jackson is going to become and be known and be recognized as the greatest quarterback ever to play in the history of the National Football League,” Harbaugh asserted.
“It’s going to happen through Lamar’s work ethic, his brilliant talent, our collective effort as a team, and by the grace of God,” he added.
Jackson, who has made strides in his career with two NFL MVP awards, is focused on more immediate goals.
Despite his achievements, he acknowledges the challenge of reaching the heights of Brady and other greats at just 27 years old.
Jackson knows that in order to be mentioned in the same sentence as a legend like Brady, he’s going to have to start winning in the postseason – something that he has struggled mightily with.
Jackson knows regular season success is nice, but winning in the playoffs is what really matters.
“That’s been the first checkbox for me since 2018. I said that, on April 26, when I was drafted. I said that and I meant that,” Jackson said of his goal of winning the Super Bowl.
“This is the highest level of this game we play. You gotta go out a champion, and that’s why I want to be labeled as a champion, not just MVP here and there. I want to be a champion,”
Jackson’s recent illness caused a brief absence from training camp, but he emphasized his eagerness to return to the field quickly.
“Just because I was down, I’m still locked in. I know what time it is right now, it’s camp time. With me going down for a couple of days. my mind was still in it, ‘like I gotta hurry up and get better so I can be out with my guys,” he said.
Jackson and the Ravens will ring in the 2024 season when they take on the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday, September 5.
Do you think Jackson has a chance to go down as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history???