Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was recently criticized by former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The legendary Steelers QB claimed that the teams in the NFL don't fear Jackson while throwing passes from the pocket, and it sparked many debates.
Several former players came into Jackson's defense, including Torrey Smith, who won a Super Bowl with the Ravens in 2013. He compared Jackson to Stephen Curry, and claimed that the former NFL MVP is a victim of his own success.
Here's what Smith said about Jackson:
![march madness logo](http://staticg.sportskeeda.com/skm/assets/march-madness-logo.png)
"It doesn’t fit the narrative. Lamar is a victim of being extremely gifted at one thing. He is the best running QB of all time, so people think he can’t pass. He gets treated like Steph Curry. Steph is the greatest shooter so folks act like he can’t do anything else. It’s lame."
Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!
There is no denying that Lamar Jackson is arguably the best running quarterback in the history of the game, but due to it he often gets undermined when it comes to throwing.
When healthy, we have seen Jackson winning games for the Baltimore Ravens with his throwing skills, and many argue he should be given a lot more respect. So far in his career, Jackson has thrown for 12,209 yards, 101 touchdowns, and just 38 interceptions in 70 games.
A Pittsburgh Steelers player talking ill about a division rival's best player is not a surprise, but Smith believes people should not see Jackson as a quarterback who can only run with the ball.
Lamar Jackson expected to stay with Ravens following Odell Beckham Jr.'s arrival
![Odell Beckham Jr.: UFC 287: Pereira v Adesanya 2](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/04/607f7-16815038456948-1920.jpg?w=190 190w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/04/607f7-16815038456948-1920.jpg?w=720 720w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/04/607f7-16815038456948-1920.jpg?w=640 640w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/04/607f7-16815038456948-1920.jpg?w=1045 1045w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/04/607f7-16815038456948-1920.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/04/607f7-16815038456948-1920.jpg?w=1460 1460w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/04/607f7-16815038456948-1920.jpg?w=1600 1600w, https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/04/607f7-16815038456948-1920.jpg 1920w)
The Baltimore Ravens recently splashed a lot of money to get Odell Beckham Jr. as the star receiver signed a one-year deal. It was a great move by the franchise who are trying their best to convince Lamar Jackson to stay.
Jackson was reportedly quite happy after OBJ signed with the Ravens, and there is a possibility he could end up staying with them. A few weeks ago, the Ravens QB publicly stated that he has requested a trade from the franchise and is looking to leave.
Furthermore, the consensus around the league is that the Ravens are making good progress in making sure that Jackson plays in Baltimore next season.
Ravens Nation! Check out the latest Baltimore Ravens Schedule and dive into the latest Ravens Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.