LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – Of course, it’s an, “I told you so moment.” For Lamar Jackson, whose first half-dozen questions after his NFL Combine performance were about moving to wide receiver. For those contrarian scouts who argued that he could play quarterback in the NFL. For John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens coach, who fought to draft Jackson and then crafted an unconventional offense around him.
And it’s an “I told you so” moment for Jackson’s fans, who knew that above all else the guy was the most exciting football player many of them had ever watched.
Jackson was unanimously named Most Valuable Player of the National Football League on Saturday, the second former University of Louisville quarterback to win the award, following in the footsteps of Johnny Unitas, who won the award in 1959, ’64 and ’67. Jackson also joins New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady as the second unanimous MVP in league history.
Jackson’s victory is a win for variety and vision. It is a victory for those who refuse to comply with the physical and stylistic templates many would try to force coaches and teams into. His victory says that, yes, there is another way to play quarterback in the modern NFL – though at the moment, nobody else possesses the physical talents to do things the way he does them.
In 2020, he became the youngest first-team All-Pro quarterback in NFL history. He broke the all-time NFL single-season rushing record for quarterbacks. He became the first NFL quarterback to rush for more than 100 yards in six games. He led the NFL with 36 touchdown passes. His yards-per-carry ranked second-most for a player of his age in NFL history.
But perhaps even more special was Jackson’s ability to turn any game into a must-watch event. Even in blowouts, you dared not look away, lest he do something unforgettable. He did that plenty. Four times he sat out the fourth quarter of games, with the issue long-since settled.
He led the Ravens to a 14-2 record and top seed in the NFC, but that’s where the story ended.
Heavily-favored Baltimore’s loss to Tennessee in the second round of the NFL playoffs leaves some holes on his resume that he’ll have to fill. He’s now 0-2 in playoff games. Even in defeat this season, he became the first player ever with 300-plus passing yards and 100-plus rushing yards in a playoff game. But they were empty yards.
Perhaps it’s fitting then, that Jackson can still have a few naysayers, even in an historic moment.
But nobody can say this – he was the best player in the NFL in 2020. And now, he has the hardware to prove it.
Heisman Trophy and NFL MVP just weeks after his 23rdbirthday. The only thing that would’ve made it better would be a Super Bowl appearance in Miami, not far from his home in Pompano Beach.
Some dreams are still out there, but on Saturday, Jackson collected another one that few thought he would attain.
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