So that's it? 4 games and you're done with him lol. He had 500 yards alone in one of those games (set a postseason record). Only Mahomes has a better regular season winning percentage than Lamar since 2018. He knows how to win football games, and eventually it will translate to the postseason, especially if he lands in a better situation with some real talent around him so he can maximize his overall potential as a quarterback. He's a tremendous football player, we already know that.
But "getting a better team around him" is going to be the issue for Lamar or ANY team with a 50MM dollar/yr. QB., especially when you are going to lose significant draft assets as well. HE's the guy who is going to have to SIGNIFICANTLY change the style he plays if he is going to have a 15-20 year career we'd all like to see.
We were all witness to the fast decline of the 30 year old Cam Newton, who as every bit as dynamic 2 way QB as Jackson though much bigger, if slower. He went from a guy with 400+ yd passing game vs Seattle, on the road ( and JE's single biggest passing yd game) to a guy who couldn't consistently hit a RB on a swing pass about 10 games later.
Yeah, I know that Jackson is more elusive and doesn't take on or dish out as many big hits as Cam did during his heyday. But the point is the same. Lamar has to vastly reduce his rushing attempts yet still produce enough offense to be a consistent superbowl contender. That doesnt mean he becomes a classic drop back QB who can scramble, but certainly NOT around 150 rushing attempts a year. Do we at least agree on THAT?
That would mean any team would be taking the risk that Jackson, who has been playing the same way since HS, will be able to evolve at least to SOME significant degree change the way he's played the game. OR does a team take a $150MM for 3 years risk that his organization can create a unique offense similar to what the Ravens did compete for a superbowl those year and MAYBE, just maybe, win one, knowing that at the end of those 3 years the effective years of your QB has left will be less than 4, by all accounts.
I know none of Jackson's injuries have been "serious", but hell, even an ACL isn't THAT serious now days. Just a bump in the road, compared to a concussion or throwing arm injury. I'm a living example of what amazing things they can due surgically. The changes I've seen myself in just the last 20 years in the vascular/cardiac area is simply STUNNING. Want keeps me off the Lamar bandwagon are the simple injuries that cost you games like sprains, dislocations, and bruises, plus the long term wear and tear that vast shorten the careers of even great QB's like Newton and Young
