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Ravens HC sets incredibly high bar for Jackson's career
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson arrives on the red carpet before the 2024 ESPYS at Dolby Theatre. Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

Ravens HC sets incredibly high bar for Lamar Jackson's career

With two NFL MVP awards already on his resume, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is already known as one of the best players in the league right now.

But his head coach, John Harbaugh, has even loftier vision than that. 

He not only wants Jackson to be known as the best player and quarterback in the NFL right now, he wants him to be known as the best quarterback to have ever played the game. 

"The vision that we have together is that Lamar Jackson is going to become and be known and be recognized as the greatest quarterback ever to play in the history of the National Football League," Harbaugh said on Sunday via the Ravens' website

"That's the vision. It's going to happen by Lamar, his work ethic and his brilliant talent, by all of us pouring into that effort together as a team, and by the grace of God and God's good will. That's how it's going to happen. And I believe it like we've already seen it."

That is certainly creating some big expectations and goals. Perhaps even unreachable goals. 

There is no denying Jackson's talent and impacts as a player. He is one of the best dual-threat players the NFL has ever seen at the position and is one of the best rushing quarterbacks ever. Every time he has the ball in his hands there is a chance you are going to see something special happen. 

There is a reason the Ravens have been one of the best teams in the league since Jackson took over as the team's starting quarterback and when he is healthy.

As good as he is, however, there is still one thing he is going to have to change in order to play his way into that discussion that Harbaugh wants him to be in.

He has to win in the playoffs. 

Whether it is fair or not, that is always going to be the one thing that separates players in these all-time discussions. Not just playoff success, but championships. So far that is the one area Jackson and the Ravens have struggled. 

The Ravens are just 2-4 with Jackson in the playoffs, while he has thrown just six touchdowns to go with six interceptions, six fumbles and three lost fumbles in those six games. His passer rating also goes from 98.0 in the regular season all the way down to 75.7 in the playoffs. 

If Jackson is going to become what Harbaugh envisions, that is going to have to change before he can start being mentioned in the Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Joe Montana tier of all-time great quarterbacks. 

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on Twitter @AGretz

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