Ravens' John Harbaugh sets new goal for Lamar Jackson: Become the greatest QB in NFL history

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With two NFL MVPs in his trophy case, Lamar Jackson has already built quite a reputation for himself as one of the game’s best.

John Harbaugh, his coach, wants him to rise even higher. On Sunday, Harbaugh gave a speech outlining his expectations for where he believes Jackson could end up in his career.

The bar is remarkably high.

“The vision that we have together is that Lamar Jackson is going to become and be known and be recognized as the greatest quarterback ever to play in the history of the National Football League,” Harbaugh said, via the Associated Press. “That’s the vision. It’s going to happen by Lamar, his work ethic and his brilliant talent, by all of us pouring into that effort, together as a team, teamwork, and by the grace of God and God’s goodwill. That’s how it’s going to happen. And I believe it like we’ve already seen it.”

Without a doubt, we have witnessed it during Jackson’s two MVP seasons and numerous times in between. Jackson is an exhilarating superstar, regularly generating some of the most electrifying plays in contemporary football.

However, critics are quick to note that he still hasn’t managed to secure the most desired prize: the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Baltimore was one step from a Super Bowl appearance last season, taking home the AFC’s top seed and rolling to the AFC Championship Game before encountering an unexpected offensive rut, falling to the eventual Super Bowl LVIII champion Kansas City Chiefs, 17-10.

Harbaugh is aware that his quarterback will never be part of such high-level discussions without winning a ring or three. However, this doesn’t discourage the coach because he understands who Jackson is.

“Harbaugh stated, “I go through the material and watch clips of what these men say on their shows, which often pop up on my phone. Many positive things are said about Lamar, but there are also comments that leave you baffled, wondering what’s going on in the speaker’s mind. However, we take all of it to heart.

Lamar Jackson, a man who has been fielding the same questions his whole life, ever since he was a youngster in junior high. This continued through high school, into college, during the draft, and even amidst his success in the National Football League. Despite all this, these questions still arise.

Harbaugh, while speaking to reporters, acknowledged that Jackson is the driving force behind the Ravens and they have built two offenses around him since his arrival in 2019. He assured that this will not change, nor will the ultimate goal of Baltimore.

Jackson will be responsible for realizing Harbaugh’s vision.