Ravens: Lamar Jackson to take more snaps under center in 2021

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has almost exclusively taken snaps from the pistol formation throughout his NFL career. But that could be set to change in the near future.

Offensive coordinator Greg Roman revealed during a press conference on Wednesday that Jackson is expected to operate more under center than he has at any point in the past.

As Roman put it, “the cat’s out of the bag now,” in regard to Jackson taking more snaps under center in 2021.

This will be a significant change for both Jackson and the Ravens, and it could have ripple effects on the offense as a whole.

The Ravens will use Lamar Jackson more under center in 2021

Speaking about the decision to make this change to the offense, Roman had the following to say.

"“That is definitely going to be a part of what we do this year — the percentage of which I cannot state at this point. I don’t know the extent of it. But we are working on it and evaluating it every day.”"

It seems pretty clear that this will more than just a goal-line situation type of deal. The Ravens want to get Jackson under center a lot more in 2021 in hopes that he could take that next step as a passer.

That includes working on his ball fakes, play action, and footwork more so than in the past. It will undoubtedly be a challenge, but it’s a necessary and, quite frankly, long overdue adjustment.

Roman has come under fire over the past year or so for his one-dimensional offense and his inability to fully develop Jackson as a passer.

Make no mistake, the former MVP remains one of the most dynamic and dangerous quarterbacks in the NFL. But he’s looking to continue developing his overall game and this is certainly one way to do it.

Jackson’s impending contract extension remains one of the primary storylines of OTAs so far, even with the 24-year-old indicating that he isn’t concerned about it.

It’s expected that his new contract will make him one of the highest-paid players in the NFL, likely valued somewhere between the deals that Patrick Mahomes ($45 million per year) and Dak Prescott ($40 million per year) received.

Assuming the extension doesn’t get done before the start of the season, Jackson could help his case by putting together a strong 2021 campaign.

And Baltimore’s decision to allow their star quarterback to operate more under center should only help matters.