According to David Latham of Last Word On Sports, Lamar Jackson is a top MVP candidate entering the 2023 season. Latham had this to say about Jackson’s 2023 outlook:
“The richest man in football finally has worthwhile receivers and could very well earn the second MVP award of his short career. That being said, Jackson needs to prove he can stay healthy and develop chemistry with all the new faces on the offensive side of the ball.”
In Latham’s ordered shortlist of MVP candidates, Jackson ranks seventh. The quarterbacks behind him are Aaron Rodgers, Tua Tagovailoa, and Derek Carr. Ahead of Jackson are Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts, and Trevor Lawrence.
This off-season brought a close to Jackson’s difficult contract negotiations. After a tumultuous two off-seasons, Jackson finally reached an agreement with the Baltimore Ravens over a mega extension. The reaffirmation of Jackson’s long-term future in Baltimore has spread a good feeling around the Ravens, with many believing that 2023 promises Baltimore fans a new era of football.
Lamar Jackson is “MVP Candidate” for 2023, According to Last Word On Sports
Per Latham’s comments, Jackson’s potential MVP status relies on two things: health and chemistry. For Jackson to win the MVP award, he will need to stay healthy and find rhythm in a new offensive system with new offensive personnel.
Health and Availability
In 2019, when Jackson won the MVP, he started 15 games. Aaron Rodgers then won back-to-back MVP awards in 2020 and 2021. The former Green Bay Packers quarterback started 16 games in both those years. In 2022, Mahomes started 17 games in his MVP campaign.
The trend is clear. To win an MVP award, availability is key. In the last four MVP seasons, the winner missed a maximum of one game.
Compare that to Jackson’s injury history. Of course, in 2019 and 2020, he had largely unscathed years (though with varying production). However, in both 2021 and 2022, Jackson played just 12 games per season. His injuries down the stretch were detrimental to Baltimore’s playoff hopes.
Without injuries, Jackson has MVP talent. Last season, he was a dark horse MVP candidate before he went down. As such, if he stays healthy for the duration of the season, he has a shot at finishing as one of the top quarterbacks.
But what says that 2023 will be different? Critics may suggest that Jackon’s playstyle and physique mean that he is only good for 12 games a season. If so, the MVP award will be unattainable.
However, that perspective clearly has its fallacies. For starters, Jackson’s run-heavy, abrasive style was what led him to the 2019 MVP. In 2022, his injury arose from taking a sack rather than power running. There is also a good case to be made that Jackson has only played four years as a full-time starter. His mileage is unlikely to yet have taken a long-term toll on his health.
Thus, assuming 2021 and 2022 were outliers, the hope is that 2023 will be different. With J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards back, Baltimore can take some pressure off Jackson.
Baltimore’s New-Look Offense
The more exciting discussion surrounds Baltimore’s new offense. There is a lot of optimism surrounding Todd Monken’s new-look offense. So much so that Jackson wants to throw for 6,000 yards this year. His statement is testament to Baltimore’s upgraded passing playbook.
Monken is not the only big-time change on Baltimore’s offense, however. The team’s signing of Odell Beckham Jr. has also been a game-changer. The former Super Bowl champion projects as the team’s top receiver and brings plenty of elite NFL experience with him.
Beckham is not Baltimore’s only addition though. Rookie Zay Flowers has been impressing at camp and is expected to play a big role as a gadget receiver in Baltimore’s offense. Rashod Bateman also returns from injury, giving Baltimore three high-end starting options.
With those big names headlining Baltimore’s receiver news, it is also easy to forget about the acquisition of Nelson Agholor. Agholor will be Baltimore’s top backup receiver and has been impressing coaches at camp already.
That fails to even mention Baltimore’s tight end group. Monken’s Georgia offense leaned on receiving tight ends a lot. Fortunately for him, Baltimore have one of the league’s best tight end rooms. Mark Andrews is, of course, an elite option. However, behind him, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar have also been turning heads at camp. Likely stepped up as the team’s starting tight end when Andrews went down last year.
With so many upgrades, it is easy to be infatuated with Baltimore’s offense and Jackson’s MVP prospects. However, as Latham warned, it will be most important for Jackson to build a rapport with the system and personnel. While the offense has garnered praise at camp, it remains to be seen how it will look coming out of the gates in the NFL.
turn it up ❗️ pic.twitter.com/wBtmjuEfqu
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) June 6, 2023
Main Photo: Brent Skeen-USA TODAY Sports
