<
        >

          NFL Nation

          Super mission: Lamar Jackson wants to be Brady of Baltimore

          • Jamison Hensley, ESPN Staff WriterJan 23, 2019, 01:00 PM
            Close
              Jamison Hensley is a reporter covering the Baltimore Ravens for ESPN. Jamison joined ESPN in 2011, covering the AFC North before focusing exclusively on the Ravens beginning in 2013. Jamison won the National Sports Media Association Maryland Sportswriter of the Year award in 2018, and he authored a book titled: Flying High: Stories of the Baltimore Ravens. He was the Ravens beat writer for the Baltimore Sun from 2000-2011.
            Follow on X

          OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Whenever there is a comparison made about Lamar Jackson, it usually involves Michael Vick.

          But Jackson is aspiring to be a different quarterback. For the Baltimore Ravens rookie, the main thing is the ring -- several ones.

          "I already said it when I got drafted: I wanted to bring a Super Bowl to Baltimore," Jackson told Showtime's "Inside the NFL" before the playoffs began. "So, I'm going to try to bring as much as I can. ... I want to bring the Super Bowl here. I want to be the [Tom] Brady [of Baltimore]. I want to be the Brady, bring multiple, if I could."

          Jackson, at 21 the youngest quarterback to start an NFL playoff game, would have faced Brady in the AFC divisional round if the Ravens had beaten the Los Angeles Chargers earlier this month. Brady, 41, is now looking to win his sixth Super Bowl title on Feb. 3, when the New England Patriots play the Los Angeles Rams.

          This isn't the first time that Jackson has expressed his fondness for the NFL's all-time winningest quarterback. At last year's NFL combine, Jackson was asked to describe his play. His response: a mix of Cam Newton and Brady.

          "Superheroes," Jackson said at the time.

          The admiration is apparently mutual. In April, Brady gave his endorsement of Jackson, who many thought could become his heir apparent.

          On an Instagram post speculating about the Patriots' interest in Jackson leading up to the draft, Brady responded, "He's a beast!!!!" along with a thumbs-up emoji.

          Jackson then posted: "GOAT has spoken."

          The Patriots ultimately passed on Jackson twice in the first round, selecting offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn with the No. 23 pick and running back Sony Michel at No. 31. The Ravens traded back into the first round to take Jackson with the No. 32 and last selection of the round.

          In a dramatic rookie season, Jackson replaced an injured Joe Flacco around midseason and led the Ravens to their first AFC North title in six years. He won six of seven regular-season starts primarily on the strength of his legs. Jackson's 556 yards rushing were the most by a quarterback in his first seven staarts in the Super Bowl era and ranked as the seventh most by any player this season from Weeks 11 to 17.

          But Jackson's electric first season came to crashing halt in the 23-17 loss to the Chargers in the wild-card round. He was 3-of-10 for 25 yards and an interception (passer rating was zero) midway through the fourth quarter before throwing two touchdown passes to Michael Crabtree.

          The biggest priority for next season is improving Jackson's passing efficiency. He completed 58.2 percent of his passes (99-of-170), which ranked second among rookie quarterbacks but far below the league average of 64.9 percent.

          "You know, if you add a Peyton Manning passing game to this offense," cornerback Jimmy Smith said, "you may have the greatest quarterback of all time."

          In Jackson's mind, the greatest quarterback of all time is the winningest one. Throughout his rookie season, Jackson never fixated on his outstanding rushing numbers and never expressed concern over his passing yards.

          Asked nearly every week about the amount of hits he had taken, Jackson typically replied that he would do whatever it takes to win.

          That's why it's not a surprise that Jackson wants to become the Brady of Baltimore.