Baltimore Ravens: Is Lamar Jackson a trendsetter or an outlier?

Lamar Jackson has dazzled at the helm of the Baltimore Ravens but is he unique or a trendsetter in the NFL — and will he last in the league himself?

There’s no question Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has exceeded expectations in his sophomore season after an impressive but perhaps uneven rookie campaign. Coming into the league from Louisville, it was evident Jackson had tremendous gifts as a football player. But whether that would translate to success at quarterback was called into question.

While his athleticism and arm strength were evident, his accuracy and the sustainability of his style of player were less than certain. Jackson is not the first running quarterback in the NFL. But what we haven’t seen is a quarterback who can run as much as Jackson does and sustain it over the course of a lengthy career, be it due to injuries or otherwise.

Is Jackson the quarterback this league has been looking for in terms of his dual-threat style? Can he lead the next generation of quarterbacks with a new brand of playing the position, changing it entirely?

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The archetypes of Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Matt Ryan and even the great Tom Brady are diminishing and the running/mobile quarterbacks like Jackson, Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes (just to name a few) are being welcomed more openly in the NFL.

The game is simply getting faster and the quarterback no longer is the worst athlete on the field. Size matters less, speed and maneuvering capability are being pushed to the forefront. We’re starting to see quarterbacks who are not only threats outside the pocket but also inside the pocket with tremendous arm talent, such as Russell Wilson or Mahomes.

But Jackson is a unique blend of skills, standing alone in what he brings to the table. Could we begin to see players with top-running back talent transition to quarterback moving forward? If Jackson is able to healthily sustain the performance he’s put forth thus far, that could be the case.

Previous run-heavy quarterbacks such as Michael Vick or Cam Newton took substantially more hits than their immobile counterparts and paid or are paying the price. And Jackson is taking hits like a running back would. So far, however, he’s been able to handle it and stay healthy.

There’s also the chance that the shock factor that opposing Jackson brings could be benefitting him. Jackson has only lost once to a team he’s seeing for the first time (the Chiefs in 2018). We saw in the playoffs last year against the Los Angeles Chargers that he could be figured out and limited in his offensive capabilities, especially by a team seeing him for the second time.

Even still, he’s 15-4 as the Ravens starter (including playoffs), but he’s yet to see the best teams in the league for a second time.

What’s going to happen when he comes up against Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots again if they meet in the AFC Championship Game in Foxborough? Also, what’s going to happen in a game where his running lanes are shut down? Some team is going to make him win with his arm and it remains to be seen if he can consistently do that.

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Jackson has all of the intangibles to be a starting quarterback in this league for the next decade. His leadership and maturity have been on full display this season, as has the confidence he plays with. And he may well win NFL MVP or a Super Bowl ring this season. But is Jackson changing the archetype of the quarterback position and, in the same vein, will he be able to last in this league?

Simply put, the archetype is changing with or without Lamar Jackson. Hopefully, he can continue to take strides and learn how to win games in a multitude of ways other than just relying on his legs as often as he does. But from what we’ve seen, the ability for him to do that is there.

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