Lamar Jackson hints at Ravens drama in cryptic Instagram posts
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson had a cryptic message for his Instagram followers the day before NFL teams can use the franchise tag.
Jackson’s first photo on his story contained the message, “No matter how much genuine love you show it’ll never be enough,” with an emoji with symbols on the face as if to say, “so f–k it.”
Then, he added an image of an upper body with vibrant flames engulfing its head. While it’s unclear what exactly Jackson was referring to, the posts come at an intriguing juncture in his career as he seeks a long-term contract.
It wasn’t the first time this offseason Jackson has used his Instagram story as a vessel for cryptic hints. Following the team’s season-ending loss, Jackson posted a message that stated, “When you have something good, you don’t play with it.”
“You don’t take chances losing it,” Jackson’s post from Jan. 16 continued. “You don’t neglect it. When you have something good, you pour into it. You appreciate it. Because when you take care of something good, that good thing takes care of you too.”
Jackson just finished the last season on his rookie deal — as Baltimore picked up his fifth-year option — but missed the final five games due to a PCL sprain sustained in Week 13. The Ravens were then eliminated from the playoffs in the wild-card round, as backup quarterbacks Tyler Huntley and Anthony Brown couldn’t operate the offense with the same consistency.
But head coach John Harbaugh said following the season-ending loss that he was “200 percent” certain Jackson would return as Baltimore’s quarterback, while general manager Eric DeCosta reiterated excitement about resuming contract negotiations. Harbaugh also revealed that Jackson would be involved with the selection of the team’s new offensive coordinator after the Ravens parted ways with Greg Roman.
Baltimore announced Feb. 14 that it hired Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken for its vacancy.
It marked the second consecutive season that Jackson only started 12 games, and he threw for 2,242 yards and 17 touchdowns with seven interceptions. He also rushed for 764 yards and three touchdowns. But Jackson dealt with inconsistency at the receiver position surrounding tight end Mark Andrews, who has been Jackson’s top target, after the Ravens traded Marquise Brown to the Cardinals in April.
