After eight seasons in the NFL, Lamar Jackson is still getting disrespected by the rest of the league. The "running back" accusations may have died years ago, but the Baltimore Ravens star is still getting pushed out of the elite tier of quarterbacks.
The Athletic recently released a ranking of 35 NFL quarterbacks, as voted on by league coaches and front-office executives. Jackson ranked fifth, just outside of the list's top tier. He fell one spot from his ranking last year.
The rest of the league seems to believe that the former MVP has lost a step. One anonymous coach said: "I’m not sure how much he wants to run and take hits anymore. He can’t be special without the threat of a run. I think he needs to be more active when he does run. It used to be he would go and outrun you. Now, he kind of goes, but he is not always moving with purpose."
What else does Jackson have to do to solidify himself as one of the NFL's top QBs?
Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson must remind the NFL who he is in 2026
Jackson has strayed away from the run-heavy style he relied on early in his career. He had just 24 designed rushing attempts last season. In the first three years of his career, he consistently had over 100 designed rushing attempts. His scramble rate has dropped consistently in recent years, settling at 8.15% in 2025.
But that doesn't make Jackson a less effective quarterback. In 2024, the Ravens QB finished second in the NFL in EPA per play and first in total passing EPA despite limited rushing attempts.
There's no question that he took a step back in 2025. His completion percentage and success rate both dropped significantly, while his interception rate increased. But the QB was playing through injuries throughout the season. His ability to extend plays was severely limited, leading to more sacks and fewer explosive plays.
Former MVP quarterback Matt Ryan laid out just how difficult it can be to return from an injury and immediately execute. Per ESPN, he said, "Even coming back [from injury], I think what often gets discounted is you're available to play, but it's just hard to be sharp when you're not practicing and you're missing time during the week. And even when you are [practicing], you're laboring to get through it. So I think that makes it a little bit more difficult."
Jackson wasn't himself in 2025. With a healthy offseason and a new offensive system under coordinator Declan Doyle, he's set up to bounce back in 2026. Doyle's offense has already received strong reviews in training camp.
In addition to hiring Doyle, the Ravens have reinforced their offensive line this offseason. The unit had Jackson under consistent pressure in 2026. Given more time to operate, the QB will return to his MVP form.
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