Lamar Jackson sounds off on Marquise Brown's decision: "He has to feed his family"

The Ravens will face the Arizona Cardinals in their Week 8 matchup and that means they will reunite with a familiar face on the field: former Baltimore wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown.

Brown, once the Ravens' top wide receiver after the franchise spent a first-round, 25th-overall pick in the former Oklahoma standout, will square off against his old squad for the first time since being traded to the Cardinals in April 2022 in exchange for a first-round pick.

The decision to part ways was a mutual one with Brown requesting a trade after experiencing frustrations with his role in the team and lack of opportunities/bad fit with the offensive gameplan.

Ravens' General Manager Eric DeCosta sent Brown packing to the desert and Brown now stands as the Cardinals' primary wideout. He's currently leading the Cardinals in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns.

Lamar Jackson, who shared a close bond with Brown when the two were sharing the field in Baltimore, showed support for Brown's decision to seek a fresh start in Arizona. Jackson acknowledged "I'm happy for him--no doubt."

"That's my boy," Jackson said. "That's his decision. He has to feed his family at the end of the day, and if he believes it's the right decision for him, that's on him."

Jackson refused to get into further detail, denying rumors he was involved in the trade away from Baltimore. "It's not on me. It's not my decision to make," he said on Thursday. "He would've still been here if it was up to me."

That removed all speculation about Jackson's potential involvement in Brown's decision to request a trade, as the quarterback sounded very happy having Brown as his main and no. 1 wide receiver and target in the time they played together for the Ravens.

Brown left Baltimore after three seasons having racked up 195 receptions on 317 targets for a total of 2,361 yards and 21 touchdowns spread over 46 games (41 started).

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