Ravens QB Lamar Jackson Gets Strong Defense From NFL Legend

The 2025 NFL season was forgettable for Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. All in all, the year was a complete failure.

For Jackson, it was a rough year. Just one season removed from putting up a career year and winning the NFL MVP award, Jackson struggled with injuries, and his numbers reflected those struggles.

Back in the 2024 campaign, when he won the MVP, Jackson completed 66.7 percent of his pass attempts for 4,172 yards, 41 touchdowns, and just four interceptions. He also ran for 915 yards and four more touchdowns.

Last season, the 29-year-old star signal caller threw for 2,549 yards, 21 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in 13 games, while also completing 63.6 percent of his passes. Jackson ran for just 349 yards and two scores.

Due to his lower production and injury struggles, Jackson has faced a lot of criticism and poor outlooks. Some have gone so far as to say that regression will continue in 2026. Others think that a divorce could be coming between the Ravens and Jackson.

With that being said, one NFL legend has spoken out in defense of Jackson. That legend was none other than Cris Carter.

In an appearance on the "Fully Loaded Podcast," Carter didn't hold back after a listener said that Jackson was "the most overrated quarterback in NFL history."

Carter stated, "That's impossible, 'cause there's some sorry quarterbacks that people thought were good."

Carter didn't stop there, as he went on to blame Baltimore's coaching rather than Jackson.

"Jackson didn’t get them coaches fired in Baltimore. Monken didn’t have a good relationship with him, he said that. He didn’t have a good relationship with him, and that was Monken’s fault," Carter said. 

As for John Harbaugh, Carter continued to make his point.

"Definitely didn’t get Harbaugh fired. You know, he don’t play defense. He don’t play special teams there in Baltimore. He don’t control the offseason training because they had the number of injuries they’ve had there in Baltimore," Carter said. 

Hopefully, the 2026 season can put the outside noise to rest. Jackson coming through with a strong year and leading the Ravens back to being a contender would quiet the critics.

Every quarterback has a rough year, and Jackson has now experienced arguably his worst. Still, he is a two-time MVP for a reason, and that skill set is still deeply embedded in his play. 

Only time will tell, but Baltimore has something to prove this season. Jackson has even more to prove, which is something he has become used to throughout his career. He has always found ways to silence the many hecklers.