Getty Pittsburgh Steelers fans were celebrating the latest development in this offseason's Lamar Jackson saga.
It’s difficult for any team in the modern NFL to be drama free. The Pittsburgh Steelers found that out the hard way a few years ago with Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown both essentially leaving the organization within the same six months.
But this offseason, it’s Pittsburgh’s rival — the Baltimore Ravens — who are the drama capital of the AFC North.
The latest in a drama-filled offseason for Baltimore was quarterback Lamar Jackson revealing on March 27 that he has requested to be traded.
“In regards to my future plans, as of March 2, I requested a trade from the Ravens organization for which the Ravens has not been interested in meeting my value,” Jackson wrote. “Any and everyone that’s has met me or been around me know I love the game of football and my dream is to help a team win the Super Bowl.
“You all are great, but I had to make a business decision that was best for my family and I. No matter how far I go or where my career takes me, I’ll continue to be close to my fans of Baltimore Flock nation and the entire state of Maryland.
“You’ll see me again.”
A letter to my Fans
I want to first thank you all for all of the love and support you consistently show towards me. All of you are amazing and I appreciate y’all so much. I want you all to know not to believe everything you read about me. Let me personally answer your questions
The question for Pittsburgh, though, is whether they will see Jackson in a Ravens uniform against the Steelers again.
Steelers Fans Rejoice Over Lamar Jackson’s Trade Request
With Jackson’s trade request surfacing on March 27, Steelers fans took to social media to express their pleasure in Baltimore potentially losing the former MVP quarterback.
Bengals, Browns, and Steelers fans reaction to the Lamar Jackson news
Lamar Jackson as a rookie, saved John Harbaugh’s position (career?) as Ravens HC. Excited to see the coach certain clowns and “Steelers fans” love to put above Mike Tomlin, succeed without him.
A vast majority of the tweets on Jackson coming from Steelers fans were happy with the quarterback’s trade request. But interestingly, not all were.
That’s because in his career against the Steelers, Jackson owns a 2-3 record. In those five games, he has posted a 59.6% completion percentage and 6.7 yards per pass with just 4 touchdown passes.
With 6 interceptions, no team has picked off Jackson more than the Steelers. Furthermore, with 16 sacks, only the Cleveland Browns have sacked him more often.
To keep Jackson long term, the Ravens will also have to dedicate a large portion of their salary cap to the quarterback. Some Steelers fans found that to be beneficial for Pittsburgh.
@MikedUpSports1 I was hoping they’d overpay him.
However, other Steelers fans were still convinced it would be better for Pittsburgh for Jackson to be elsewhere.
Don’t outsmart yourself. If you’re a Steelers fan, you should be rooting for Lamar Jackson to get traded. “But he sucks against the Steelers!” That’s terrific. He’s also won 70% of his games and is still only 26. I wouldn’t be upset if he’s out of the AFC North.
@MikedUpSports1 Lamar is a top 5 QB in the league. Glad to see him leave
Both of these can be true.
A: Mike Tomlin has created effective gameplans to combat Lamar Jackson.
B: Lamar Jackson leaving the Ravens is in the best interest of the Pittsburgh Steelers organization going forward.
Jackson is 45-16 as an NFL starter. He’s completed 63.7% of his passes for 101 yards and 38 touchdowns. He’s also rushed for 24 touchdowns while averaging 6.1 yards per carry.
Despite that success, it’s a risk to sign Jackson to the fully guaranteed offer that NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported he is seeking. Although he never had injury issues before 2021, Jackson has finished each of the past two seasons on injured reserve.
Jackson has missed four of the last five matchups, including each of the past three games, against the Steelers.
Steelers Rumored as Destination for Lamar Jackson?
After Jackson revealed his trade request, The Football Guys’ Dave Kluge proposed an interesting scenario — Jackson could leave Baltimore but not the AFC North.
Kluge listed the Steelers as one of the top five potential landing spots for Jackson.
Jackson is a former MVP-winning quarterback. So, of course, he could fit in Pittsburgh because he could fit anywhere.
The Steelers are committed to Kenny Pickett, so it’s a moot point. But without a doubt, Jackson would be an upgrade for a lot of NFL teams, including the Steelers.
The obvious problem, though, is the Ravens would never consider trading Jackson inside the AFC North. Jackson would have to reach free agency for the Steelers to even be a contender to add the 2019 MVP winner, and even then, the Steelers aren’t likely to pursue him with Pickett.
Instead, Pittsburgh is resorted to just watching the Ravens-Jackson drama unfold from afar. Watching that, though, seems just fine for a lot of Steelers fans.