May 22, 2024, 11:38 PM ET
The Ravens quarterback said he couldn’t remember the last time he felt so elusive after shedding several pounds in the offseason.
OWINGS MILLS — The biggest change for the quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens, Lamar Jacksonsince winning his second award as NFL Most Valuable Player It’s just that there is less of him.
jackson He indicated that he has lost weight in the offseason to “be more agile.”
At the beginning of the month, jackson He said he weighed 205 pounds, about 25 pounds less than his 2022 weight and about 10 pounds less than his weight last year. This Wednesday, jackson He declined to specify his current weight.
“I really don’t know how many pounds I lost,” he said. jackson after the second session of organized team activities in Baltimore. “I’m like two hundred and something [libras] now. But I will say that it was important enough to be able to move a little more, that’s all.”
jackson27 years old, is the most prolific rushing quarterback in the NFL, accumulating 5,258 yards in his first six seasons in the league; That’s 1,399 more rushing yards than any other quarterback. He led the NFL averaging 5.5 yards per carry last season, but that was his lowest average for any full season. The four races of jackson of at least 20 yards last season were also the fewest so far in his career.
When asked for a reason for his weight loss, jackson he simply replied, “Just to be more agile and be able to move more.”
In terms of speed, jackson He recorded nine carries in his first three seasons in which he reached a top speed of 20 miles per hour or more. In the past three seasons, he has only gotten one carry with a top speed of at least 20 miles per hour, and it didn’t happen last year.
The wide receiver of the Ravens, Zay Flowersnoticed the difference in jackson immediately when she first noticed him this offseason, describing him as “skinny.” The head coach John Harbaugh He said he was not worried about her weight loss. jackson.
“I think that’s how it is The sea“It’s a pro,” he said. Harbaugh. “He knows what he does. He knows where he wants to go with it. My concern is that he is in shape, the best shape of his life, and he is working on it.”
After what jackson suffered the most sacks, 38, in his career in 2021, he rose to 230 pounds the following season. He dropped to 215 pounds last season before shedding more weight this offseason.
jackson He said he couldn’t remember the last time he felt so elusive.
“It’s been so long,” he noted. jackson. “The COVID thing happened to us; it slowed us down a little bit, but I feel great now. I feel great.”
jackson he doesn’t feel like his weight loss will impact the way he takes punches.
“We sacrifice our bodies in every game and practice,” he said. “I really think that weight doesn’t matter.”
