Lamar Jackson isn’t spending training camp talking about contracts. He’s talking about standards.
As the Baltimore Ravens open camp and the preseason draws closer, Jackson still doesn’t have a new deal. That part of the story is impossible to ignore, but the quarterback made it clear that his focus is on what happens on the field, not on the negotiating table.
Jackson said on "The Lounge" podcast, "I expect us to be there too each and every year," Jackson said on "The Lounge" podcast. "It’s starting now, though, you know, it starts each and every week.
It don’t just happen in February. The expectations is you getting better each and every day until we in February."
That’s the tone Jackson is carrying into the season: no shortcuts, no waiting around for the postseason to define everything. He wants the Ravens pushing every week, not just arriving when the calendar turns.
Baltimore enters the year as one of the AFC’s biggest favorites, with a revamped defense and a new head coach with a bright future. But Jackson has heard the hype before, and he’s not interested in living off projections.
"It’s all good on paper, you know, I’m not a paper guy. I’m a, 'we get on the field, and we show, you know, prove how talented we are.'
Not just the name speak for itself. It’s like, no, each and every year you got to go out there and prove your name and speak for yourself until you’re done.
I don’t care if we start off 5-0, 6-0. We gotta finish the whole season," added Jackson.
That leaves the contract situation hovering in the background as another storyline Baltimore will have to manage. Jackson may want it settled to keep the noise down, but for now, the pressure sits squarely on the Ravens to match the expectations their quarterback is setting.
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