Lamar Jackson takes a lot of heat from the media, but the Baltimore Ravens star is one of the most-respected players among his peers.
Granted, it’s quite rare to hear players say anything negative about their fellow players, but it feels like Jackson draws especially high praise. It’s not hard to see why, as he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the league, a fierce competitor, and by all accounts, a stand-up guy.
Players around the league know that, but those who have played with him in Baltimore have an entirely different level of appreciation for him.
During an appearance on the “Up and Adams” show, former Raven and current Los Angeles Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins shared how much Jackson means to him. He even went as far as to avoid watching the latest episode of “Hard Knocks,” as he didn’t want to see Jackson in pain following the Ravens’ loss to the Buffalo Bills last week.
“I love Lamar so much, like a brother,” Dobbins said. “Not only is he one of the best quarterbacks ever to live, but he’s the best person in the world. I knew some of the things that happened in that game the media is gonna say it’s his fault maybe, or people are going to say he can’t win, but he can. He’s a legend. He’s amazing.
“So I stay away from that because I love all them boys on that team still because they were my guys. So I leave that stuff alone. I ain’t see none of it.”
Dobbins, 26, overcame years of injuries in Baltimore to have a bounce-back season in Los Angeles, rushing for 905 yards and nine touchdowns in 13 games. He’s even a finalist for Comeback Player of the Year, just as Jackson is for MVP and Offensive Player of the Year.
Jackson has already won two MVP awards before, but a Super Bowl continues to elude him. As someone who played alongside Jackson for four years, Dobbins knows as well as anyone how much it’s eating away at him.
“I was there with him. He wants that ring really bad,” Dobbins said. “He couldn’t care less about an MVP.”