Voluntary workouts are voluntary, but they still have value. For some players they hold monetary value, as is the case with reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson. The Baltimore Ravens star quarterback has been absent for most of OTAs, and it has cost him $750,000 in workout bonuses, according to a report from Pro Football Talk.
Mike Florio reports that Jackson's contract includes a condition where he must participate in 80% of offseason workouts to earn the $750,000 bonus, excluding of course mandatory minicamp. He has reportedly already missed too many sessions. However, after signing a $260 million deal last April, Jackson will probably be OK.
This past season, Jackson became the 11th player in NFL history to win multiple MVPs, and the first Heisman Trophy winner to win two NFL MVPs. He completed a career-high 67.2% of his passes for a career-high 3,678 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions, and rushed for 821 yards and five touchdowns while averaging a league-leading 5.5 yards per rush.
Jackson has been slimming down in preparation for the 2024 season. According to The Athletic, the star signal-caller is down to 205 pounds, which is 25 pounds down from his 2022 weight, and 10 pounds less than his 2023 weight. It's possible this could be the lightest, quickest, most explosive Jackson we've ever seen.
