Lamar Jackson entered the NFL as a highly divisive prospect. Although he won the Heisman Trophy in 2016 and was picked up by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of this year’s draft, there were doubts if he could succeed at quarterback; teams in pre-draft meetings had reportedly asked him to convert to wide receiver.
Starting his first game on Sunday — Joe Flacco’s streak of 41 consecutive starts was ended due to a hip injury — Jackson torched the Cincinnati Bengals, and the naysayers too. He ran for a Ravens QB record 117 yards (also the second-most for any rookie quarterback since 1970), and also threw for 150 to lead the Ravens to a 24-21 win.
Jackson’s dual-threat ability was on display in his first pro game, and now it almost seems absurd to think that he was being questioned as a NFL quarterback before even playing a snap as one. You can’t be too athletic for a position, can you?
With Jackson on their team, the Ravens have tried to mix up their sets this season, even deploying two-QB sets. It has, hilariously, led to some incredible decoy action from Flacco when he lines up out wide.
