Baltimore Ravens' quarterback Lamar Jackson doesn’t need to check social media or skim headlines to understand what’s at stake. The noise surrounding his 2025 season has been impossible to ignore — but Sunday’s season-defining showdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers offers Jackson the perfect opportunity to respond the only way he ever has: on the field.
With the AFC North title and a playoff berth hanging in the balance, Jackson and the Ravens enter their final regular season game against their bitter rivals knowing that the outcome will shape not only Baltimore’s postseason fate but the latest chapter in the ongoing — and often head-scratching quarterback debate surrounding Jackson’s career.
Lamar Jackson poised to silence doubters
Dismissing the “noise” ahead of Steelers showdown
That debate reached a boiling point last week after a Baltimore Sun column questioned Jackson’s preparation habits, leadership, and relationship with head coach John Harbaugh. The report sparked immediate backlash — and Jackson wasted no time dismissing it.
”It’s just noise," Jackson said when asked about the claims, pushing back strongly on suggestions that he falls asleep in meetings or lacks commitment. Jackson laughed off the idea, adding that anyone who knows him or the Ravens' facility culture would understand how absurd those accusations were.
The report coming days before their big showdown against the Steelers is very odd, and a lot of people started to claim that it was a “hit piece” to discredit Lamar and shoulder most of the blame on him instead of John Harbaugh. Jackson also made it clear that his relationship with Harbaugh remains solid and that he wants to stay in Baltimore long term.
The Ravens, meanwhile, stood firmly behind their franchise quarterback.
A season defined by injuries and resilience
Statistically, Jackson’s 2025 season hasn’t mirrored his MVP campaigns — but context matters. He has 2,311 passing yards, 18 passing touchdowns, six interceptions, and a 63.7% completion rate, while missing four games due to injuries— three with a hamstring issue and one with a back injury. The Ravens also had a rocky start to the season, beginning the year 1-5, but are currently 8-8, going 7-3 in the last 10 games.
Despite the setbacks, Jackson returned each time with the Ravens still in the AFC North hunt. His ability to steady Baltimore through adversity has kept the team alive heading into Week 18, even as critics pointed to his dip in raw production due to injuries and Jackson not being fully 100% all season long.
Jackson himself acknowledged the grind, emphasizing that his focus is on doing whatever it takes to win — especially against a Steelers team that has long loomed as Baltimore's toughest measuring stick.
There may be no better setting for Jackson to silence doubters than Ravens vs Steelers on prime-time Sunday night football. It’s not just another divisional game: it’s a winner-take-all battle with postseason implications.
Jackson has had uneven results against Pittsburgh throughout his career, fueling criticism that he hasn’t consistently delivered in the biggest moments. A strong performance — and more importantly, a win — would help flip that narrative.
As Jackson put it earlier this week, the goal is simple: win the game. And against the Steelers, there’s no room for error.
Final snap
Quarterback debates rarely end cleanly, but this one has a chance to reach a turning point. If Jackson leads Baltimore past Pittsburgh and into the playoffs, much of the speculation surrounding his leadership, durability, and future with the franchise fades into the background.
For a quarterback who has heard every critique imaginable his entire career, dating back to when NFL officials and scouts told him he was a running back instead of a quarterback coming out of college, Sunday night represents more than a rivalry clash. It could ignite a postseason run and a different animal that we may see in Lamar Jackson.
Against the Steelers, with everything on the line, Jackson has a chance to deliver the final word.