After announcing Monday that he had asked the Baltimore Ravens to trade him, star quarterback Lamar Jackson returned to social media on Tuesday to explain why he didn’t play in last season’s playoff game.
” Let’s be realistic. I’d rather have 100% ACL than go out there and play horrible games forcing myself to put my guys in a bad spot, that’s selfish in my opinion,” Jackson wrote on Twitter. evening.
Jackson was responding to those who suggested he didn’t play in the Ravens’ 24-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals because he didn’t have a long-term contract with Baltimore.
“I don’t remember giving up on my guys in Week 1 against the Jets until Week 12 against the Broncos. Why would I suddenly pull out of a game because of the money when I could have hurt myself anytime in that time frame when you know the Super Bowl has been on my mind since April 2018.”
When Jackson injured his left knee Dec. 4, it was initially thought he would miss two to three weeks of activity. But Jackson was sidelined for the last six games, including the playoff loss to the Bengals.
Three days before that match, Jackson announced on Twitter that he would be on the sidelines, explaining that his knee “is still unstable” and that his injury was more serious than initially thought.
Asked at the end of the season if Jackson’s absence was related to his contract, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta replied, “Lamar can talk about it, but my feeling is not. I think Lamar was injured. It just happened at the wrong time and I think we were unlucky and Lamar was unlucky.”
On Monday, Jackson caused a stir at the NFL’s annual meeting by posting on Twitter that he had requested a trade from the Ravens on March 2. Baltimore affixed the non-exclusive franchise player tag to Jackson on March 7, allowing him to negotiate with other teams. If Jackson signs a contract with another team, the Ravens can match the offer or receive two first-round picks as compensation.
Jackson, who doesn’t have an agent and is representing himself, hasn’t garnered much interest from teams. The Indianapolis Colts are the only team to have confirmed considering the option.
