Calling himself Lamar Jackson’s biggest “advocate,” an ex-teammate didn’t hold back when addressing the quarterback’s struggles from this season. The Baltimore Ravens went 8-9 this season and lost their playoff spot to the Pittsburgh Steelers. At the heart of their offensive letdown was Jackson, with multiple injuries. Despite people slamming the 29-year-old, former teammate Marquise Brown thinks he’s still the “best.”

“I’m one of his biggest advocates,” he said via Bobby Trosset’s post on X. “…I feel like he’s the best in the world. I always feel like that from before he even got to NFL. Yeah, they ain’t they’re not gonna change. He just got to win some Super Bowls I guess for people to start respecting it. But I mean, it never changed in our eyes and everybody’s eyes that’s from South Florida.”

Lamar Jackson is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career, posting the lowest production in the past three seasons. This was mostly due to a list of injuries that popped up across the stretch, starting with a hamstring injury in Week 4. Then, he hurt his ankle, toe, and knee, with the ultimate blow coming in Week 16. He suffered a back injury at a crucial point ahead of a crucial postseason decider game for the AFC North.

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Overall, he sat out four games and finished with a 6-7 losing record, the lowest in his eight-year career. He also posted his fewest passing yards (2,549) and touchdown passes (21) since 2022. On the rungame, he had a career-low 349 rush yards. Despite his struggles throughout the campaign, he showed promise in the regular-season finale against Pittsburgh when the stakes were highest.

During their 26-24 loss, Jackson came through, throwing for 238 yards and three touchdowns. Unfortunately, Tyler Loop’s 44-yard missed field goal gave the game away. While the regret stayed with the QB long after leaving the field, many teammates came forward to show their support.

“I think as long as we have Lamar Jackson, I feel like this team can win a Super Bowl,” Pro Bowl fullback Patrick Ricard said during the locker cleanout. “I guess the biggest thing is he makes this thing go.”

Much like Brown, many believe one brutal season can’t define Lamar Jackson. Meanwhile, there’s one more argument about him that always made Brown frustrated during his time in Baltimore.

Brown believes Lamar Jackson was always bigger than the system

When Brown was with the Ravens from 2019 to 2021, there was a narrative about Jackson that never sat well with him. Coaches took great pride in the fact that Lamar could thrive in their system. He pushed back hard against the idea that the QB ever needed a specific system to succeed.

“When I was there my first two years, people telling me, oh, this system was built for him. I hated that,” he said. “I hate hearing that because he is the system. He could play in any system…I just didn’t like hearing that…This is the system you built around his skillset? He has an unlimited skillset.” 

Reporter Bobby Trosset tried to clarify whether he was referring to a run-heavy approach or scheme-related changes, but Brown meant anything and everything. His response makes sense because Greg Roman focused on a heavy, run-first approach, while his successor, Todd Monken, leaned on a pass-oriented offense. Despite the change, Jackson thrived and won his second MVP award in 2023.

In the 2024 season, he amassed a career-high 4,172 yards with 41 touchdowns. According to Brown, the Ravens labeled Lamar as limited instead of helping him grow. He argued that if the team felt some areas needed improvement, they could have made it better through practice sessions, OTAs, or by helping him develop a new skill set.

But boxing Lamar Jackson into a certain system was never perceived well by the ex-wideout. As Baltimore navigates new leadership, fans will watch closely how it serves the team’s two-time MVP.