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Zay Flowers picked up on something different about Lamar Jackson this week when the two-time MVP showed up for Baltimore’s offseason workouts.
“He’s always ready … he’s even more ready this year,” Flowers said Wednesday. “He’s excited about the coaching staff. He’s excited about getting to work with [new offensive coordinator] Declan [Doyle]. So yeah, he’s ready to go. He wants to finish. He wants to get a ring.”
Jackson showing up at all turned heads around the league. He usually skips these voluntary spring sessions; the Ravens even posted video Monday of their franchise quarterback running drills inside the indoor facility and hitting the weight room.
The first offseason under Jesse Minter – who’s taking over after John Harbaugh’s 18 seasons as head coach – brought out several star players alongside Jackson. Derrick Henry, Flowers, Kyle Hamilton and Roquan Smith all reported for the voluntary program.
There’s urgency now, according to Flowers.
“It doesn’t matter who it is, you’re going to have a window, and you have to just seize your opportunity,” he said. “And this is our window, I feel like.”
Jackson’s regular season numbers since 2018 are elite – his 76-31 record (.710) trails only Patrick Mahomes among active quarterbacks. But the postseason tells a different story: he’s 3-5 in playoff games and hasn’t made it past the AFC Championship.
Last season was particularly tough. Jackson posted his first losing record as a starter at 6-7; Baltimore missed the playoffs for the first time since 2022. A hamstring issue and back problems cost him four games.
Baltimore’s got nine weeks of voluntary workouts scheduled before the mandatory minicamp hits in mid-June. The Ravens are seeing a version of Jackson they like.
“The energy, the work ethic … I don’t think gets talked about enough because we just get excited about what you see on the field,” said Scott Elliott, the team’s strength and conditioning coach. “That’s what’s been really, really cool to be a part of and see grow in this time of year.”
