Lamar Jackson used his MVP acceptance speech to discuss an old storyline that dominated the headlines for several years.
Now a two-time league MVP, Jackson thanked the Ravens for financially investing in him with a hefty new contract before the start of the 2023 season. The two had been locked in a tough negotiation prior to getting a deal done.
“I want to thank the Ravens for finally getting the deal done,” Jackson said during Thursday night’s NFL Honors.
Make that two MVP trophies for Lamar 🏆🏆
📺: #NFLHonors on CBS & NFLN
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/AlZ6adNg3P— NFL (@NFL) February 9, 2024
Jackson inked a five-year, $260 million deal prior to his second MVP season. Along with financially investing in him, the Ravens also gave Jackson a new wideout in rookie Zay Flowers. They also gave him a new offensive coordinator, Todd Monken, who built an offense that tailored to Jackson’s strengths. Jackson responded with his best season since 2019, when he won his first MVP.
Jackson and the Ravens came up one game short in their Super Bowl quest, but, as Jackson alluded to Thursday night, Baltimore is dedicated to him being its quarterback for the foreseeable future.