"Lamar Jackson is going to come into this season and have a giant middle finger up" - Former NFL QB believes Ravens star will be in MVP conversation

Lamar Jackson seems to have NFL fans divided. Depending on who you speak to, he is either an elite quarterback or a glorified running back. NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky is a steadfast believer of the former. He thinks that Lamar Jackson could very well be in MVP contention and to exlude him from the conversation is outrageous.

Jackson has been in the news recently due to his contract situation with the Baltimore Ravens. The 25-year-old stalled talks this offseason and appears focused on the upcoming 2022 season. Speaking on the Pat McAfee show, Dan Orlovsky feels that the Baltimore Ravens could turn out to be Super Bowl contenders this campaign.

The analyst was vocal in his support for Jackson, saying that the quarterback will be keen to prove his detractors wrong this season. Here's what he said:

"I think it is outrageous. Lamar Jackson is going to come into this year and have a giant middle finger up to prove a lot of people who have said a lot of stuff about this offseason incorrectly."

It is not the first time that Dan Orlovsky has shown his support for the Baltimore Ravens star. The former Detroit Lions quarterback previously argued that Jackson is among the elite quarterbacks going around in the NFL. This came after he was omitted from ESPN's top 10 quarterbacks list.

Jackson led the Ravens in a gutsy string of performances in 2021. He managed to win several close games before an injury saw him miss the final leg of the season. It proved to be detrimental for Baltimore as they went winless without their star quarterback, missing the playoffs with a 8-9 record.

Is Lamar Jackson a top-10 NFL quarterback?

Oakland Raiders v Baltimore Ravens

Lamar Jackson completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 2,882 yards, 16 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 2021. He averaged 7.5 yards per attempt. He also added 767 rushing yards and two more scores. He missed the last six games of 2021 which saw the Ravens slip out of playoff contention.

Jackson had a down year in 2021, and there's no denying that. But the Ravens were missing key players all over the field and in an injury-ridden campaign. His previous years in the NFL are testimony to his ability.

In the three years prior to 2021 he threw for 7,085 yards, 68 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. He has added 2,906 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground and won the NFL MVP for the 2019 season.

To have been omitted from the top-10 quarterback list seems more than a little drastic. Lamar Jackson himself responded to the exclusion, but chose to remain above it all. The Ravens star tweeted "Silence is Golden," just a day after the rankings were released.

If you use any of the above quotes, please credit the Pat McAfee Show and H/T Sportskeeda.