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Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has hit back at former quarterback Chris Simms for questioning his absence from his team's OTA's . It is not uncommon for veteran players to miss OTA's as they look to get extra rest before the real offseason workouts start.
But in Jackson's case, there could be more to it and and the quarterback responded, through a tweet, to Simms' comments questioning why he is missing OTA's.
"Lamar wants to be Lamar Chris. This part of OTAs is Voluntary my Guy I will be there, just not on your watch it’s probably other QBs not attending Voluntary OTAs either but since it’s Lamar it’s a huge deal. Find something else to talk about🙄"
However, Simms' comments regarding Jackson on Pro Football Talk with Mike Florio are not pointless. As Simms points out, Tom Brady did not miss an OTA until he had appeared in four Super Bowls.
“I’ve heard Lamar Jackson say he wants to win Super Bowls, he wants to win a bunch of Super Bowls, I mean, I think there was a time where he wanted to be like Brady. You remember him saying that earlier in his career? Well, Brady wouldn’t be missing OTA’s in year four of his career. That’s where I just want to say to some of these young quarterbacks, they are like, 'Ah, I want to be like Brady, I want to have a career like Brady'."
“Well, do what Brady does. Brady didn’t miss an OTA until he played in four Super Bowls and you know, started to get married and started to miss a few OTA’s. But then things didn’t go that great in 2010, 2011, 2012, and you know what he started doing? I’m gonna be back at OTA’s, I’m going to get a little better, we need this. That’s where, just from the football standpoint, I just don’t get it, I don’t at all."
Lamar Jackson and Ravens hoping for better 2022
The Ravens finished bottom of the AFC North with an 8-9 record and will want to be a vastly improved team in the upcoming season. Jackson missed the final four games of the year after hurting his ankle in a game against Cleveland.
The Ravens quarterback was 7-5 before his injury, having thrown for 2,882 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He also rushed for 767 yards in his 12 games and ran for two touchdowns.
The former Louisville star is entering the final year of his rookie contract and many believe his absence from OTA's could be to do with his contract status. Either way, the Ravens will be hoping their star quarterback will be back on the field soon. So, they can get to work on improving what was a rather disappointing 2021 season.
