Lamar Jackson shows off shock weight loss at Ravens OTAs as slimmed-down quarterback reveals reason behind shedding the pounds
When Lamar Jackson jogged onto the field for an offseason workout with the Baltimore Ravens this week, he almost slipped, having lost about 25 pounds since the end of 2022.
Jackson already has an excellent reputation as a dual-threat quarterback and is one of the best mobile signal callers the NFL has ever seen.
And a year after winning his second NFL MVP award, Jackson found a visible way to improve his game.
Earlier this month, Jackson said he weighed 205 pounds, which is 25 pounds less than his 2022 weight, and is down 10 pounds from last season.
The former Heisman Trophy winner at Louisville declined to give his exact weight this week, but the tangible signs of thinning are clear.
Jackson showed off his weight loss this week during an offseason workout with the Baltimore Ravens
Jackson, pictured here in November 2022 against Jacksonville, has since lost 25 pounds
“I don’t really know how much weight I’ve lost,” Jackson said this week. ‘I’m like two [hundred pounds] straight away. But I [will] Just say it’s important enough to get some extra exercise, that’s all.’
The reason for Jackson bulking up to 230 pounds was to be stronger after recording a career-worst 38 sacks in 2021, although some of that responsibility also falls on Baltimore’s offensive line.
Jackson rushed for 5,258 yards in his first six seasons in the NFL, the most ever for a quarterback during that span with nearly 1,400 yards. Jackson trails Michael Vick with 481 rushing yards, the most by a quarterback all-time.
Still, his overall speed has decreased. Jackson had nine runs at speeds of 20 miles per hour or faster in his first three seasons in the league. That total has dropped to one over the past three seasons. And it wasn’t during his second MVP campaign, per ESPN.
Jackson further explained his reasoning for weight loss as, “Just so I can be more agile and move more.”
Despite being the league’s most valuable player and earning Baltimore the AFC’s top postseason seed, the Ravens did not advance to the Super Bowl, losing to the eventual champion Kansas City Chiefs in the conference championship game .
The sting of that loss has not left the Ravens locker room and has given Jackson and his teammates an extra kick in the back to avenge that defeat.