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The one word that may define QB Lamar Jackson, 2025 Ravens? 'Vengeance'
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- The one word that may define QB Lamar Jackson, 2025 Ravens? 'Vengeance'
Channeling the Robert Pattinson version of Bruce Wayne in "The Batman," Lamar Jackson has something on his mind entering the 2025 season.
"Vengeance."
The Baltimore Ravens quarterback, speaking to the media for the first time since the Ravens fell in a heartbreaker to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC divisional round in January, said Tuesday at the team's first minicamp practice that losses from youth football still haunt him.
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So it's safe to assume the two-time MVP and 2024 first-team All-Pro is still thinking about that frigid, late-January night in western New York when tight end Mark Andrews – one of Jackson's closest teammates – dropped what would have been a game-tying two-point conversion catch. Instead, the Ravens lost to Josh Allen (the eventual MVP) and the Bills, 27-25.
"I never get over a loss," Jackson said, "I don't care how small it might be to someone else or how great it might be, it's always the same for me.
"We're going to bounce back, and when we come back, I feel like we are going to have vengeance on our minds."
Jackson fumbled and threw an interception in the first half against Buffalo to put Baltimore in an early hole. Without those turnovers, Jackson said he felt like the Ravens would have moved on to face the Chiefs in the AFC championship game, a rematch from the year before. The Ravens lost that matchup in a game the offense was also plagued by turnovers.
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"(Without) turnovers," Jackson said in reference to the Buffalo game, "I feel like we win."
Quarterbacks coach Tee Martin said the last two seasons have resulted in "some deep-felt loss" for Jackson. Their offseason conversations, at least what Jackson is verbalizing, have been different, Martin said.
"You see maturity there in terms of what he sees on the field and things that he wants to do offensively," Martin said. "He's having more input back to us as coaches. Like, 'I see this. I would like to do this more or less.' He's doing more of that and just taking his communication to the next level, so that's what I would say about that."
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson gets ready to launch the ball during first half action at the Buffalo Bills divisional game against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Jan. 19, 2025.
The area in which Martin has seen the most growth from Jackson was verbal communication with his teammates. When Martin joined the Ravens' staff in 2021, Jackson led more by example. Jackson, barely in his mid-20s then, didn't always speak up with veteran receivers such as Nelson Agholor and eventually Odell Beckham Jr. on the offensive side of the ball. That's changed, even with the acquisition of another veteran wideout in DeAndre Hopkins .
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"We've had guys that's been in and out that's causing him to talk about what he sees and how he feels about things," Martin said.
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said on a local podcast earlier this month that the Ravens have had preliminary talks with Jackson about a contract extension, and head coach John Harbaugh said he expects that those talks (Jackson is his own agent) would make No. 8 the highest-paid player in the league after Allen and the Bills agreed to a mega extension this offseason.
Jackson declined to comment on anything regarding his contract but replied "it sounds good" when asked about potentially becoming the NFL's top earner.
Lamar Jackson pushes for Ravens to sign Jaire Alexander, a former Louisville teammate
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While Jackson had DeCosta's attention, he made a pitch for another acquisition before the season starts. Although he stated he is a fan of the teams corners, the Ravens should look into signing his Louisville teammate Jaire Alexander , who was released by the Green Bay Packers earlier in June.
"Go get him, Eric ... that's my boy," Jackson said.
Thanks to a healthy diet of fruit, push-ups and sit-ups, Jackson said he's maintained his weight around 200 pounds and didn't do anything extravagant during the offseason – a slightly different approach compared to past makeovers that featured him either bulking up or shedding weight to regain agility.
The Ravens open the season at home against the Bills on "Sunday Night Football" Sept. 7.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lamar Jackson says Ravens want 'vengeance' in 2025 NFL season
