During fairly brief comments at the outset of Sunday night’s preseason game between the Ravens and Cardinals, host Curt Menefee casually mentioned that Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson gained 25 pounds this offseason.
A source with knowledge of the situation tells PFT that Jackson has not gained 25 pounds.
He has indeed gained weight. Based on his own words, the number is more like 10-12 pounds. He said during the offseason that he has added lean muscle to get to 220 pounds.
“I just wanted to do it. See how I look, see how I feel, and I feel good,” Jackson said at the time.
That’s important, because the claim that Jackson gained 25 pounds was regarded by former Saints coach, and new Fox analyst, Sean Payton will alarm.
Even at 10-12 pounds, the question is whether Jackson will still have the same speed and acceleration. Perhaps he will. The extra muscle becomes more natural armor for a body that has taken plenty of hits in four NFL seasons. But if for some reason his ability to run away from hits has been hampered, he could end up taking more of them.
We’ll see how it looks and how it works, and how Jackson feels after playing in games, once the games get started for the Ravens in 20 days, against the Jets.
For now, it looks good. Jackson looks thick, not fat. And between Jackson and Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, it looks like they’re both competing to develop the kind of thick, powerful neck that became the trademark of former NFL linebacker Takeo Spikes.