Ronnie Stanley and quarterback Lamar Jackson aren’t just teammates. Over the years, they’ve built a friendship and, most importantly, a brotherhood helping them through hard times. In an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, Stanley pulled back the curtain on this bond; the trust built through years of protecting and being protected.

“We just know each other like brothers,” Stanley said during the exclusive interview. “We understand each other’s personalities and how we are. I feel like we both understand what we want, and our goal is to win. That’s always kept us on the same page.”

This clearly reflects when the players fight personal battles.

One of the first instances of this surfaced in 2019 after Lamar Jackson suffered a 23-17 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in his first NFL playoff game. Amid fans booing the young quarterback, Stanley didn’t waste time before defending him.

“We love our fans and everything they’ve done for us,” the offensive tackle noted back then. “But there are going to be good times and there are going to be bad times, and we expect your support in all of those times. If you’re not going to support us, then you’ve really got to question yourself on that one.”

When it was time for Jackson to give back that same support, he did so wholeheartedly, particularly during Stanley’s intense physical and mental battles.

Back in 2020, in the first quarter of a 28-24 Week 8 home loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Stanley suffered a “severe” season-ending ankle injury. While he returned to training camp in 2021, not feeling quite right and purely out of obligation, the repercussions were visible in the season opener. Against the Las Vegas Raiders, his only game that season, the player reportedly allowed nine quarterback pressures on 40 pass blocking snaps. He also re-injured his ankle, which required a season-ending surgery.

The next two seasons saw him play just 11 and 13 games, respectively. Between 2020 and 2022, he missed a staggering 33 games and had to undergo multiple surgeries.

“I felt like I had the whole world standing on my chest,” he reflected.

The one thing that helped was his quarterback supporting him every step of the way.

“One teammate I can talk about always having my back is Lamar Jackson,” the 2x Pro-Bowler reflected earlier this year in The Players’ Tribune. “8 always had my back. I’ve never met a more authentic person in the NFL. He’s the face of the franchise and has all the pressure in the world on his shoulders. He’s got every incentive to just be a Company Man, and instead he comes in every day like his genuine self. Not trying to fit any mold, an elite competitor with that childlike joy for the game. I love it.”

This off-field trust translates when the lights come on.

Stanley anchored the Baltimore O-line and finished last season with a 79.6 PFF pass-blocking grade. He also tied for 11th among offensive tackles with a 92.5% pass-block win rate. When Jackson scrambled and extended plays that just don’t work in other offenses, Stanley’s pocket awareness and football IQ kept him upright. When Baltimore needed division-clinching drives, Stanley’s assignment execution gave Jackson those split-second windows that turned into touchdowns. But not every play means perfection.

With a struggling offensive line this season, the duo would need more than brotherhood.

Lamar Jackson & Ronnie Stanley know they need to step up

Before suffering a 14-32 defeat in their Thanksgiving showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals, the Ravens were on a five-game winning streak. But consecutive wins don’t mean much if you’re sputtering offensively when January arrives. Stanley echoed that sentiment in the  Essentially Sports Exclusive Interview.

“I think we’ve got to execute better,” Stanley said. “I think that’s the thing, everyone being on the same page, knowing the job and whatever look we get, making sure that everyone’s on the right people.”

Jackson has a similar opinion.

“It’s great to see our defense playing well, but it’ll also feel great and look great when we are playing as well to match their energy,” the quarterback said after their Week 12 win. “We just need to do that week in and week out because those guys are stepping up. We need to do the same thing.”

Baltimore’s offensive inconsistency has created a pattern they’re still fighting to break. The biggest question now is whether the Ravens can do enough to turn their offense around and remain at the top of their division through the remaining games of the regular season.