Baltimore's Lamar Jackson turns heads after WR, DB video goes viral
Videos of Lamar Jackson showing off his dual-threat talents have gone viral on social media – but not in the way you might think.
In a video making the rounds on social media, the Baltimore Ravens' quarterback is seen doing wide receiver and defensive back drills with kids on an asphalt basketball court.
While some have praised Jackson for taking the time to meet and play with the youngsters, the 24-year-old has taken a lot of heat for what many deem to be foolish actions, seeing as how Jackson, who is on the verge of signing a massive contract extension with the Ravens, could easily have injured himself.
On Thursday’s "Undisputed," Skip Bayless posited that Jackson taking such risks before signing his impending deal was unnecessary and could have affected not only him but also his franchise.
"When we talked about this a couple days back, I defended Lamar to a point because, obviously, he knows what those kids are thinking and feeling because he was one of those kids not too long ago," Bayless said.
"The problem with Lamar that I see from a distance is he’s still got too much of those kids in him. He still hasn’t grown all the way up to respect and appreciate the responsibility he has to his team as the face of the franchise, as a recent former MVP of this league and a man standing on the precipice of signing the biggest contract in the history of the sport … and yet he’s willing to risk that?"
The Ravens organization didn't seem to be fazed by Jackson's day in the sun, as they shared their own video of the former NFL MVP's "lit" outing.
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On Tuesday’s "Speak For Yourself," Marcellus Wiley shared his thoughts on why Jackson's actions were justified, suggesting that the reaction has been too harsh.
"It’s not fair to criticize Lamar over this," Wiley said. "People don’t respect the road traveled. … This sounds like someone who’s like, ‘I have your best interest in mind,’ when you don’t know what my best interests are.
"When you start to criticize or condemn the road traveled, or the road I will travel, that’s when I have a problem."
Wiley appears to be on the same page as Jackson.
In light of the criticism, Jackson defended himself on social media, saying he plans to do it again next year and is showing support for the "kidz."
Also, this isn’t the first time Jackson has had some potentially dangerous fun.
Last summer, the Ravens' franchise QB was seen taking off at full speed on the sand before colliding with a jet ski while playing beach football. To think the Kansas City Chiefs shuddered at the sight of Patrick Mahomes shooting hoops in a friendly pickup game at a gym back in 2019.
At this point, we can just chalk it up to Lamar being Lamar.
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