Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is a hot topic around the NFL right now. Fans and players believe he should get paid like a superstar while general managers and owners appear united on denying him the guaranteed contract he seeks.
Kansas City Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes II was even dragged into this mess in March when ex-NFL cornerback Richard Sherman blamed him for settling on a 10-year team-friendly extension in 2020. On March 29, another big name within the KC community got involved — although this was an ex-Chief, not a current one.
Former safety and team leader Tyrann Mathieu tweeted: “This man [Jackson] got hurt twice inside the pocket. I’ve never seen anyone tackle him with a heavy hit in space, his game is special and rare. I have never seen this guy take a hit when running and not get up immediately (he owns a mean stiff arm). When he hurt himself it was inside pocket.”
Mathieu’s public defense of Jackson was in response to a quote from Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, who cited long-term injury concerns when explaining why his team is out on the MVP talent. For this show of support, the Honey Badger quickly went viral with nearly 25K likes and counting.
Lamar Jackson Situation Could Impact Chiefs
One way or another, the fallout of this QB debacle will probably impact the Chiefs, being that the Ravens are generally right in the thick of the playoff hunt so long as Jackson is healthy.
Sure, Baltimore has never made it to the Super Bowl with Lamar — or traveled to an AFC Championship at Arrowhead Stadium — but they’ve established themselves as a tough competitor in the regular season and a potential threat beyond that. After all, Jackson is still a former MVP quarterback and there aren’t too many of those around the league.
If he were to sit out the 2023 campaign amid contract disputes, however, that would likely eliminate the Ravens as a serious AFC contender. Similarly, if Jackson is traded outside of the conference, that’s another short-term win for the Chiefs.
The only losing scenario here is that a strong AFC challenger trades for Jackson — the Miami Dolphins or New England Patriots could fit the mold — but that seems very unlikely at this time.
In a similar vein, Jackson won’t be coming to the AFC West. Kansas City’s division rivals are all seemingly set at the quarterback position, with Jimmy Garoppolo joining the Las Vegas Raiders and the Denver Broncos trading for Russell Wilson last offseason. Justin Herbert also looks the part as a franchise QB in Los Angeles.
Richard Sherman’s Gripe With Patrick Mahomes During Lamar Jackson Saga
In case you missed it, here was Sherman’s public complaint against Mahomes concerning more guaranteed money for NFL quarterbacks.
“What pissed me off is when Kirk Cousins got his fully guaranteed deal, I thought all the quarterbacks from then on were gonna be like, ‘Ay, if it ain’t guaranteed I ain’t taking it,'” Sherman told Hall of Fame receiver Calvin Johnson via The Volume on March 24. “Then Mahomes took that BS deal, just 10 years and wanted it to look like half a billion. But if you get half of that fully guaranteed, everybody’s happier [and] that sets precedent. But when he didn’t set it, Josh Allen didn’t set it, now Lamar is trying to set it after Deshaun’s [Watson] already set it, and [the Ravens] are like, ‘Nah.'”
It’s not our place to say whether Sherman is right or wrong about his claims against Mahomes, but we will point out that the KC quarterback is well on his way to becoming the NFL’s first billionaire athlete — so he must be doing something right.
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Ex-Chiefs’ Tyrann Mathieu Sounds Off in Defense of Lamar Jackson