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After a dark start to 2023, the sun has risen for Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
He's got stability with the franchise for the forseeable future and as a bonus, won the sweepstakes for Odell Beckham Jr. Those two ingrediants, according to one NFL analyst, put him in position to overtake Patrick Mahomes in 2023.
Here's how Damien Woody put it on ESPN's "Get Up":
"I'm excited. I think Lamar is going to explode this year. I do. I think Lamar is going to explode. He's got the contract situation behind him. You got it done relatively early in the off season. So you got all this opportunity to learn this new offense on the top."
Woody continued, setting high expectations for the quarterback:
"They've added pieces on offense, particularly at the wide receiver position with OBJ, Zay Flowers, and Rashod Bateman coming back off of injury... I think Lamar is going to tear it up this year."
He was asked in response to his hype about whether Jackson could get an MVP in 2023. Woody put the award squarely in front of the quarterback and seemed to back the Ravens star over the Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes, saying:
"Absolutely. We could definitely see [an MVP] because there's going to be different dimensions to Lamar's game as it relates to this offense that Tom Monken is going is going to install."
Will Lamar Jackson defeat Patrick Mahomes in 2023?
Lamar Jackson's health remains biggest talking point ahead of new season
Lamar Jackson has proven to be one of the few quarterbacks capable of defeating Patrick Mahomes. However, Jackson's biggest villian has been his own health.
He's failed to finish the year in each of the last two seasons. To get an MVP and lead the team to the zenith of the NFL, Jackson needs to stay healthy.
Many believe that because the quarterback signed a big-time deal with the Ravens this offseason, he will clean up his health issues. That point is a source of controversy, though. It insinuates that Jackson missed time over the last two years because he wasn't motivated enough due to his perceived payment shortfall.
In the end, 2023 will prove to be the battlefield to settle Ravens fans' arguments about Jackson's motivations. Will their star quarterback turn back the clock to 2019?
If any of the above quotes are used, credit Get Up and H/T Sportskeeda.
