The Baltimore Ravens have been without their two-time MVP, Lamar Jackson at OTAs. The star quarterback lost $750,000 due to a clause in his contract, but since the OTAs are voluntary, not many are batting an eye. That is, except for renowned ProFootballTalk analyst Chris Simms.
As a former NFL quarterback, Simms understands the game as much as any analyst. However, his recent criticism of Jackson seems unfair, and he’s made a bit of a career criticizing Jackson and his NFL career. Most recently, Simms denounced Jackson for his lack of participation throughout voluntary OTAs.
"He was insanely good, but yet I still don't condone Lamar Jackson not being there with the Ravens through OTAs and the workouts. ... These are the little things I look at that maybe get you over the hump. ... I wish he was there right now. I don't understand that as being the leader of the Ravens football team,” Simms said.
Lamar Jackson continues to get unfair treatment from the media
Jackson doesn’t need to prove himself much more. He’s missed OTAs before, forfeiting $750,000 in the 2024 offseason. And after that incident, he proved he didn’t need OTAs, as he put up an MVP-caliber showing last year. However, the 28-year-old is once again getting harsh treatment, and it’s becoming repetitive.
After pulling the same trick last offseason, Jackson put up maybe his best season to date. He threw for 4,172 yards and ran for 915 yards. This yardage translated into production as he found the end zone 41 touchdowns through the air and added another four on the ground. It deserved an MVP, but voters robbed Jackson of his third MVP, giving it to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen instead. Regardless, the electric season is more than enough proof that Jackson doesn’t need OTAs, and his teammates showed it didn’t phase them either.
While he hasn’t been practicing, Super Bowl-winning head coach Jon Gruden helped combat the hate on a recent episode of The Lounge with Baltimore Ravens reporters Garrett Downing and Clifton Brown.
“[Jackson is] an unbelievable gameday performer. He’s an iceman,” Gruden said. “He’s a legitimate superstar. He’s the top of the food chain in the NFL."
Through seven NFL seasons, he’s shown enough to show that he doesn’t need OTAs to improve his game. He’s shown a strong ethic to give coaches faith that he’s keeping himself ready when away from the team. These practices are voluntary. There’s no need for most of the veterans to show up consistently. Numerous other Ravens have missed the offseason activities this month, but since they aren’t in the eye of the media like Jackson, they haven’t faced as much criticism.
Heading into 2025, the Ravens should have no worries about Jackson and his OTA attendance. He is the lifeblood of the offense and has shown a passion for the game on and off the field. While he’s found struggles in the playoffs, there’s no doubt he’s putting the work in to tame that dragon this year.
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