ExtremeRavens Posted June 27 Posted June 27 Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson can make professional football look easy. The two-time NFL Most Valuable Player threw 41 touchdown passes and just four interceptions this past season while adding more than 900 rushing yards. He nearly won his third MVP award, finishing second to the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen. As it turns out, Jackson doesn’t just make the sport look simple for fans watching on TV or in the stands. Sometimes the game feels effortless to Baltimore’s quarterback, too. “It got easy for me my sophomore season [in Baltimore],” Jackson told comedian Kevin Hart in a new episode of Hart’s show, “Cold as Balls,” which features Hart interviewing guests as they each dip into a cold tub. “First game of the season. We blew out the Dolphins, and I’m like, ‘This is easy.’” Jackson references a 59-10 win over Miami in 2019 in which he completed 17 of his 20 passes for 324 yards and five touchdown passes. He posted a perfect passer rating and went on to win his first MVP Award later that season. While the sport has looked like child’s play at times for Baltimore’s signal caller, Jackson is still without a Super Bowl ring. Entering 2025, the Ravens have one of the best rosters in the NFL, and Jackson likes where the team stands in its championship pursuit. “We’re extremely close,” Jackson said. “As I’ve been getting older in the league, my mindset has been different and the game has gotten a lot easier for me.” Not everything comes easily to the former Louisville star, though. He acknowledged that he struggled with leading a team during the early stages of his NFL career. “I’m not really outspoken … a great motivational speech, I don’t have that,” Jackson said. “I pretty much lead by example. I go out there. I’m gonna work hard. I expect that out of you. As I’ve been growing in the league, it’s like, nah, you gotta talk to the guys. “Coaches and stuff like to tell me, ‘You’ve got to talk to the guys. I’m like, all right. Now I talk to them one-on-one.” Jackson later cited an example of those one-on-one conversations he’s becoming more comfortable having with teammates. He spoke with tight end Mark Andrews’ after the team’s playoff loss to the Bills. Andrews fumbled in the fourth quarter and dropped what would’ve been a game-tying two-point conversion in the final minutes. “I went up to him, I’m like, ‘Man, we all played a part in this game, I had my turnovers. We shouldn’t even be in this situation. I know you’ve been busting your [butt] all season. Despite what you’ve been through, you’re just gonna have to bounce back. We can’t dwell on that [stuff],’” Jackson said. Hart approved of the pep talk. “I know you said that you’re not a motivational speaker and you don’t do the inspiring talks, but I’d be damned if that didn’t pump me up,” he said. Hart and Jackson went over serious football topics in the nearly 16-minute interview, but they also shared plenty of laughs. Over the final five minutes of the video, Jackson and Hart wore Ravens wings. While Hart’s wings used what appeared to be backpack-like straps, Jackson’s straps were much smaller and thinner. “Why mine look like a thong?” Jackson quipped. Hart also lobbied Jackson for a spot on Baltimore’s roster. Jackson wasn’t having it. “I see myself in the slot,” Hart said. “Nah, we have tall [guys] at slot,” Jackson quipped. Hart is reportedly 5 feet 5. “That’s the thing,” Hart chirped back. “That’s what [defenses] are used to.” Jackson was quick to shoot down Hart’s NFL dreams. “We might have you on the sideline,” he said. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Bennett Conlin at bconlin@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/BennettConlin. View the full article Quote
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