Baltimore Beatdown
According to Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry, quarterback Lamar Jackson addressed the team on the first day of training camp with a message.
“He just emphasized let’s put the work in right now. Let’s not come out here BS-ing on all three phases. Let’s do what we need to do each and every day to get where we want to go,” Henry said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “He’s been emphasizing that a lot from the first day that we got here. He talked to the team [and said], ‘It’s time. It’s time to do what we need to do.’ He’s just tired of coming up short.”
The Ravens have been on the cusp of a playing in the Super Bowl since 2019. They’ve made it to the Divisional round thrice. They played in the 2023 AFC Championship Game. But by their own errors and miscues, they’ve come up short. And Henry, who joined the team in 2024, shared they’re sick of it.
“We’re hungry,” Henry said. “We want to get there. [When] you’re coming up short, you get sick of it. So, it’s just like, yeah, let’s get it done.”
Jackson has shared over the course of his career he’s become a more vocal leader. He admitted it was the most difficult adjustment in the NFL in an interview with Kevin Hart back in June. His production proves it, being a two-time League MVP and three-time First-Team All-Pro.
“Just being a leader. I’m going to say being a leader,” Jackson said. “Because I really don’t — I’m not really outspoken. Like, being vocal with my guys like, ‘Oh, lets do this and that,’ or got a great motivational speech. I don’t have that. I just pretty much lead by example. I go out there. I’m going to work hard. I expect that out of you. And as I’ve been growing in the league I’m like, no. You got to talk to the guys. Coaches and stuff like to tell, ‘You got to talk to the guys.’ Now I talk to them one-on-one about certain things I’m seeing. I’ve got to voice it more.”
On Day 1, Jackson addressed his team and is looking to end the cycle of fighting their way to the playoffs only to falter. The only thing left is for the Ravens to deliver when it becomes a single-elimination tourney at season’s end.
