Lamar Jackson has spent much of his eight-year career skipping voluntary workouts. But on Monday, the two-time MVP signaled that things in Baltimore Ravens might look a lot different this upcoming season. 

By reporting for the very first day of the Ravens’ offseason program, Jackson made a statement without saying a word. Especially as ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky had a morning of heavy discussion regarding his past attendance habits. But on seeing the player in the building, the narrative changed. 

“Everyone echoes what Lamar Jackson does,” said ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky. “This is a good start for the organization under new head coach Jesse Minter.”

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Analysts were quick to point out that the quarterback’s physical presence in the building does more than just get him in shape; it leads the entire locker room. Former NFL defensive lineman Chris Canty agreed, noting that the face of the franchise being there early eliminates any excuses for the rest of the roster.

“Him being here the first day sets the tempo for everyone in the organization,” Canty noted.

The discussion began when the Ravens made their massive trade attempt to acquire star pass rusher Maxx Crosby from the Las Vegas Raiders. For the first time, the Ravens did something they usually never do. They gave up two first-round picks to get Crosby.

By sacrificing such significant draft capital, the front office sent a clear message to the league that they believe they are just one player away from lifting the Lombardi Trophy. The decision to target Crosby was to overcome the most glaring weakness from the previous year. As the team struggled to consistently pressure opposing quarterbacks throughout the 2025 season. 

At the point in time, ESPN’s Orlovsky believed this move changed everything for the Ravens and their quarterback, Lamar Jackson. He argued that the team was now fully committed to winning a championship immediately, leaving no room for failure.

Regarding the high expectations for the team, Orlovsky said, “I love Lamar. There ain’t no more excuses now. This is all in.”

He later shared the clip on social media to emphasize his point, adding, “Gotta get it done. It’s been that way; it’s even greater now.”

The comments quickly went viral, even drawing a direct response from Lamar Jackson, who reminded the analyst that he has never made excuses for his performance. 

Since then, the trade actually fell through due to medical concerns, but Orlovsky’s all-in warning remains a major talking point for the 2026 season.

Dan Orlovsky once again gets the ire of the Ravens’ fans

It seemed like ESPN’s analysts had presumed that Jackson would be missing out on the offseason practice this year as well. Which is why, when the Raven circulated the video of the QB in the building, the analysts steered the conversation in a positive direction, but Fans didn’t let the topic of Jackson’s arrival just slide. 

One comment read, “Dan Orlovsky and Mike Greenberg making up the biggest of biggest non stories questioning whether Lamar Jackson was going to show up at off-season activities. He was probably going to be there all along.”

Another comment stated, “@danorlovsky7 8:00 AM on @GetUpESPN already crying about Lamar not being there yet. Is 8:26 AM too late for you? Lamar Jackson shows up when the Head Coach gives him something to show for Harbaugh’s was a joke.”

When faced with social media pushback from fans wondering why a voluntary workout was being treated as breaking news, the analysts doubled down on the significance of the move, simply stating, “Its a tone setter.”

Jackson didn’t just show up for practice; he sent a clear message to the locker room and the rest of the league that the second act of his career had begun. Especially since the 2025 season didn’t exactly go as planned. Last season, the team finished with an 8-9 record. The collapse was fueled by a major rift between star quarterback Lamar Jackson and the coaching duo of John Harbaugh and Todd Monken. And that’s exactly what Jackson doesn’t want to repeat in this season.

There were a few other comments that read, “Get up, ESPN account just deleted its tweet about Lamar not showing up, and he’s literally in the building LMAOOOOO.” The same user appears to have shared the now-deleted post that ESPN initially shared about Jackson.

A fourth user said, “Thank the lord so the media can shut the F–K UP!!!!!”

If it were some other analyst, maybe Baltimore fans would have let it slide. However, Orlovsky has faced constant criticism for his treatment of Lamar compared to his treatment of Josh Allen.