Getty Lamar Jackson embrases John Harbaugh.
The Baltimore Ravens had a great season on the field in 2019, and a big reason that was the case had everything to do with quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Not only did Jackson make a deep statistical impact on the game, he stepped up and became the unquestioned leader of the Ravens along the way which was special for his coach John Harbaugh to watch.
While at the 2020 Pro Bowl, Harbaugh talked a little bit about what impressed him most of Jackson this season. More than any statistics or big plays he made, Harbaugh admitted in the interview it was more about watching Jackson step up and become an accountable leader of the team.
“When he knew that he was the guy and it was going to be his thing and his team, I saw him take another step forward in terms of just leading and being himself,” Harbaugh said in the interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio. “He was able to take it on his shoulders, take responsibility for everything. I think when he did that, everybody kind of gravitated toward that.”
As Harbaugh said, the fact that Jackson is able to make himself accountable is one of the most special things he sees about his quarterback, and something that endears him to all his teammates.
“He’s a young guy but he understands that part of leadership, accountability, and he takes it on his shoulders,” he said. “The guys love it. He works as hard as he possibly can work, and that’s what it is.”
John Harbaugh on Lamar Jackson as NFL MVP
In the weeks ahead, Jackson could lay claim to the league MVP award for his work on the field in 2019. Obviously, that’s something Harbaugh is proud of.
“It says a lot about him. I think what it says, he says about it. It’s a team award. I think we’ll all take pride in Lamar Jackson being the MVP if he wins it, because we’re all the MVP in a sense, because it’s a team sport. Football is a team sport. You accomplish everything together. He said that many times, and that’s what we’ll all take from it.”
Jackson remains a virtual lock to win the award, even with the way the season ended for him and the Ravens. Obviously, that shouldn’t do anything to diminish what Jackson did this season and how he played.
As Harbaugh said, he has maintained that his MVP would actually be an award for the whole team, which is a special approach for a young player to take. Clearly, Jackson is well prepared and well grounded.
Lamar Jackson Stats
This season, Jackson was the epitome of a dual-threat quarterback and one of the leaders in the next generation of quarterbacks that will make waves in the league. After the action concluded last week, Jackson has put up 3,127 passing yards and 36 touchdowns through the air. On the ground, he has rumbled for 1,206 yards and 7 touchdowns. As a whole, the Ravens have managed to find the best of Jackson on the field. Arguably, he’s become the most obvious MVP candidate in the league given these types of things.
Since being drafted out of Louisville, Jackson has begun to rewrite the book in the league in terms of what a quarterback is and can be. The fact that he was a shoo-in as an All-Pro is a testament to how good Jackson has been in 2019.
If and when he wins the MVP, it will be due not only to his great play, but to his leadership as well.
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