The Baltimore Ravens begin mandatory minicamp this week, and the big question was if star quarterback Lamar Jackson would be present after missing OTAs. He said in late May that he would "be there" while calling out the media for criticizing his decision to miss voluntary workouts, and sure enough, Jackson appeared to be in the building on Monday.
Early Monday, Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey posted a video on Instagram proclaiming Baltimore's offensive leader was "here."
Marlon Humphrey has found Lamar Jackson pic.twitter.com/X6bhFyGPhD
— Kevin Oestreicher (@koestreicher34) June 13, 2022
Lamar himself gave everyone a glimpse as well, while sending a message to Ravens fans. Jackson declared that he was, "Back at the king's castle," adding that "I hope you're ready for the season, because I sure is."
“I hope you’re ready for the season.” 😈@Lj_era8 is back❗️ pic.twitter.com/kzq9yEg8uL
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) June 13, 2022
The intrigue surrounding Jackson has to do with his contract, as the 2019 NFL MVP is entering the final year of his rookie deal. While some signal-callers such as Kyler Murray have been very public with their desire for an extension ASAP, Jackson reportedly hasn't shown much urgency to negotiate what will be a huge contract.
CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin hypothesized Jackson's hesitancy could stem from an ever-shifting market that keeps demanding him to reassess his own value. Either way, Jackson being in the building this week is what's important at this juncture. He has publicly remained loyal to Baltimore, and this is just another example of that.
Jackson is coming off of the toughest campaign of his career, as he missed a career-high five games due to an ankle injury. He threw for 2,882 yards, 16 touchdowns and a career-high 13 interceptions while adding 767 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Just 25-years-old, Jackson could reset the QB market. That is, when he wants to.
