Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is officially around for the long haul, and the former MVP wants to set a new record in passing yards. More specifically, Jackson hopes to throw for 6,000 passing yards in 2023, and seems to believe that he can do it with Baltimore’s influx of offensive talent.
Lamar Jackson sounds excited about the Ravens’ off-season additions, saying today, “I want to throw for like 6,000 yards with the weapons we have.” pic.twitter.com/0mq4KM8HBw
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 4, 2023
Lamar Jackson Wants to Reach 6,000 Passing Yards in 2023
Excited For Next Season
Speaking to reporters after signing his record-setting deal, the Ravens quarterback spoke at length about how thrilled he is to be around for the long haul.
“I’m very eager. I think I told someone, I want to throw for like 6,000 yards with the weapons we have. I’m not an individual, award type of guy. I just want to do that because no one’s ever done that before, and we have the weapons to do that…just can’t wait to get rolling.”
First of all, whether or not you think he can actually hit 6,000 passing yards, you have to admire the confidence of Lamar Jackson. And, to be fair to Jackson, Baltimore’s offensive weapons are a lot better than they were at this point last year. Mark Andrews is still his reliable self, and Isaiah Likely should take a big step in Year 2.
However, the biggest source of improvement is at wide receiver. Who knows what Odell Beckham has left in his tank, but it’s going to be hard for him to be worse than what the Ravens had last year. Rashod Bateman, meanwhile, is finally healthy and ready to break out, while rookie Zay Flowers should be a dangerous threat on all three levels. The Ravens have the tools to put together a strong passing attack, but can it be the record-setting unit Lamar Jackson wants?
Can Lamar Jackson Hit 6,000 Passing Yards?
Lamar Jackson wants to shatter the passing yards record, but can he actually do it? The short answer is probably not, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a good thrower of the football. You just need to be a historically good passer surrounded by elite weapons, and Jackson isn’t quite there yet.
Right now, Peyton Manning is the all-time single-season passing yards leader with 5,477 in just 16 games. This remains one of the greatest seasons in history, as Manning is arguably the best quarterback of all time and had four great weapons in Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Wes Welker, and Julius Thomas. Drew Brees also recorded 5,476 passing yards in 16 games back in 2011, and he had a similarly elite arsenal of weapons.
Since then, players have come close to matching Manning’s mark, but nobody has been able to exceed it, even with the extra game on the schedule. In 2021, a 44-year-old Tom Brady threw for 5,316 yards with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Antonio Brown, while Patrick Mahomes went for 5,250 yards last year with Travis Kelce and Andy Reid.
Lamar Jackson is good, but he’s not a Brady/Manning/Mahomes type of quarterback, and his weapons and scheme aren’t as prolific as those other quarterbacks. The odds of Lamar Jackson matching any of those guys is pretty low, and he’d need to shatter their records to his 6,000 passing yards.
However, juts because Jackson won’t put up unprecedented passing yardage doesn’t mean that this team won’t have an improved aerial attack. The weapons are better, and the offensive scheme should improve with Greg Roman departed. The Ravens will have a good offense as long as Jackson stays on the field, just don’t expect to see the greatest offense in the history of the game.
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