It appears that Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Sammy Watkins isn’t convinced that Lamar Jackson is too injured to play for the team in the playoffs this weekend.
In a recent interview, Watkins said that Jackson’s contract situation might be having an influence on his injury situation.
Via ProFootballTalk:
“In this league, everybody is pretty much banged up, hurt. I don’t want to speak for him and his situation and whatever he’s going through with the contracts. I don’t know what world he’s in. But for me, you got a chance to do something special. We all know with Lamar Jackson out there, this team is really freaking good, and special things can happen. He can will this team to a Super Bowl. I don’t think he’s thinking about it that way.”
[…]
“I think the world is ready to see Lamar back on the field, doing what he do best, and get all the stipulations and contract stuff behind him,” Watkins said. “I pray somebody talks to him like, ‘Man, just sign the deal.’ You know what I mean? And he get out there and hopefully, if… he’s healthy, he can just come play this Sunday. We all know that’s up to Lamar and whatever goes on. Hopefully, they get something done. The world wants to see Lamar be a Baltimore Raven for the rest of his life… [T]he world wants to watch Lamar Jackson. That’s a phenom talent, a talent that you rarely come by. Things that he do on the field and things that you see, to be quite honest when he’s out there, he makes everybody play better, just to have him in that huddle. I pray that somebody reach out to him or that he’s really truly getting healthy and can play, that he wake up Thursday and be like, ‘All right, forget it. I’m playing.’ I think that would change the whole trajectory of our season.”
Sammy Watkins is hardly the first person to suggest that Lamar Jackson is choosing not to play through his injury has he tries to secure a contract extension.
Depending on how the Ravens play in Jackson’s absence, he might wind up with a lot more leverage heading into the offseason regardless.
Though if the Ravens manage to win without him, the entire situation changes in a big way.
Is Sammy Watkins on the right track with his assessment of Jackson’s situation?