Mike Vick to Lamar Jackson: “Put a brace on it, let’s go”

Pittsburgh Steelers v Baltimore Ravens
Getty Images

As the Ravens prepare to face the Bengals on Sunday night, they’ll do it without starting quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Saturday on Fox, a former NFL starting quarterback had some pointed words for Jackson.

Mike Vick had this to say about Jackson’s reluctance to play with a PCL sprain in his knee: “It’s the playoffs, you’re three games away. Put a brace on it. Get it going. Put a brace on it, let’s go. . . . I played a whole season with a sprained MCL.”

During the same segment, former Saints coach Sean Payton expressed disagreement with Jackson’s decision to go public with his injury status, adding that Payton is “hearing grumblings” from the building, and that there are “teammates” who believe his “process has been slower than expected.”

Payton added that, if he were the coach, Jackson wouldn’t even be on the sideline with a knee injury that keeps him from playing.

“With a lower body injury, he’s going to be up in the press box, he’s not going to be on the field for me,” Payton said.

Jackson may never be on the field again for the Ravens. Payton predicted that Jackson will be elsewhere in 2023. It’s a feeling that definitely is beginning to spread throughout the league.

68 responses to “Mike Vick to Lamar Jackson: “Put a brace on it, let’s go”

  1. Without 2 properly functioning legs….that basically renders Lamar Jackson useless.

  2. If he indeed has the injury he posted, he has almost doubled the “worst case” timeline for that particular injury and isn’t even to the point where he can do a limited practice.

    There is either something else medically going on beyond the initial injury (secondary injury or another existing medical problem) or it’s contract related.

    I would be more concerned with the medical side. Missed the end of the season and 5+ games each of the last 2 seasons. If he’s not the fastest guy running on the field he’s not worth putting on the field so making sure his legs are healthy for the long term has to be the priority before giving him a contract.

  3. Lamar is holding out. He is putting himself over the team. Pull all offers immediately, use the transition tag, get him off the sideline, and rally the team for the playoffs.

  4. Lamar has a knee that isn’t 100%, but almost every other quarterback would be out they’re playing this weekend. It’s leadership. It’s what’s expected come playoff time, and anyone who signs Lamar to a big contract will get exactly what they deserve.

  5. No success in the playoffs, gutless for this game. Seems like poor Lamar is punching his own ticket out of Baltimore. Trade him to Houston – it’s warm but he will be running for his life, just like Watson did.

  6. Jackson can’t be ignorant of what happened to RG3 being pushed into a playoff game, when his team clearly wasn’t good enough to get to the Show anyway. RG3’s career ended in the first quarter of that game

  7. Lamar Jackson must have the record for most passes thrown by a running back.

  8. The NFL can’t say “it’s a business” then be upset when players treat it as such. Lamar is one loss away from at worst, being franchiser at $45 million, and at best securing hundreds of millions in guarantees. If in doubt, sit out.

  9. He’s done with the team and we all know it. No way they sign him to a big deal now. He bet on himself and lost. Good luck with a team wanting to sign a running back who thinks hes a QB. Injury to his leg isnt a great thing either.

  10. Do the Ravens have any receivers to throw to? No, so why bother coming back. Lamar will move on to a team that has some weapons.

  11. If he was a real quarterback he could just stand in the pocket, get rid of the football, and dice a defense up such as a Peyton Manning, Brady, you know like any traditional quarterback that has been successful. But if you take away Lamar’s legs you take away everything

  12. That would be good advice if Lamar was a pocket passer. He’s nothing without his mobility. He’s a running back playing QB.

  13. He took a gamble and it’s looking really bad for him right now. Seems like a legit guy and I hope it works out for him.

    Two things to think about as I play Captain Obvious. They are definitely not the same team without him, but even if they sign him, will they really have him, or will he be on the sidelines?

    And also remember that this a franchise that broke the bank with Joe Flacco and they got burned. At least with him, they paid for a Superbowl already won.

  14. NFL is a business. Jackson may indeed be healthy enough to play. But he also may be in more danger of exacerbating the injury or causing a more serious one (ACL etc) because he is already compromised. If that happens, does anyone think the Ravens or anyone else will say ‘you put team first so we won’t hold the injury against you in contract talks?’

  15. Jackson is out of Baltimore. He wants to go to a place with receivers and Ronnie Stanley not protecting him. Although not playing in the playoffs despite injury is weak sauce. Any other QB in the league would hell even guys like Rodgers and Newton did it.

  16. Lamar Jackson quit on his team. His uneducated mother is his agent. He’s a disaster. Move on. He’ll be rendered useless by 30 its his playing style.

  17. Robert Griffin did that for the Redskins. It was a disaster and ruined his career. Stay seated, Lamar.

  18. Not wanting to play because you’re injured and soon to be a free agent is understandable. But he should know that he undercuts his value with every game he misses. Ability and availability are inseparable, with both being necessary.
    Jackson is failing with the latter, but especially at the worst time of the season, playoffs. It’s one thing when he was skipping games in December, but if you’re choosing not to play in January, your lack of your commitment to winning a championship makes you completely worthless as a player.

  19. Lamar is playing checkers with his future in Baltimore while Harbaugh & the Ravens front office play chess! He’s turned into the AFC version of that petulant man-child Kyler Murray in Arizona!
    He’s been hurt playing the last 2 seasons & has expectations of a contract extension? Lol
    Lamar will be playing for the Jest’s or Raiders next season because both teams are bad a evaluating talent, great at overspending & desperate for a QB.

  20. Can’t fault him for trying to get paid. Look what happened to RG3s career. At the end of the day, it’s a business. If he had already signed his mega contract, I think he would be playing tonight.

  21. Running QBs do not work in the league. They last 3 years or less and then it’s over. QBs who CAN run is where it is at. I think Lamar is done in Baltimore and I think it’s a mutual breakup.

  22. Well, I didn’t think there was a way for him to get out of a franchise tag… but holding yourself out of the playoffs certainly works

  23. FA is calling. Teams will be willing to shell out hundreds of millions and somehow expect something different. Okay.

  24. The last guy I remember sitting out half a season in his contract year for an injury that was extremely slow to heal was Kenny Gooladay. He got big money anyway.

  25. The Ravens also bet on Lamar and lost. They built an entire offense around him and let his favorite receiver leave, and kept playing the “we will tag you and play you later” game. Well it backfired also and you can clearly see how bad their offense is without Lamar. Sure they can let Lamar walk but they are years away from rebuilding the offense. They need a QB and receivers.

  26. That’s the problem you get with these “running” QB’s. Any injury to their legs, even a superficial one, and it makes it difficult for them to play at the same level they were playing at before. If this were Mac Jones and the same injury he would likely be able to play, because Mac isn’t a running QB and does all his damage just standing there in the pocket. But Lamar does a lot of his damage on the move. And it’s not just Lamar running, it’s the threat of him running that changes how defenses will play him. If a defense knows that Lamar can’t run, they are going to have a significant advantage in the defensive scheme that they will use. That’s the risk you run when you have a “dual threat” QB in the NFL.

  27. Someone is going to get fleeced when they sign him to a huge fully guaranteed contract. That is something NO team should ever do. Not even Burrow or Allen or Mahomes should get fully guaranteed. At some point you have to have money to pay other players.

  28. Nobody wants to play for the Ravens they are old and sour like a bunch of moldy lemons.
    Lamar is not fool his future is in his knee.

  29. chickenbiscuit says:
    January 15, 2023 at 10:01 am
    Would you rather have Lamar or someone else with $45M to spend on other players?

    ======================
    ======================

    Lamar Jackson. 25-30 million of that goes to a QB Like Jimmy G or Derek Carr who needs everything around them to be perfect in order to succeed. And the remaining 15-20 doesn’t not get you a pass rushers and 3 quality wide receivers plus a decent back up QB when Jimmy G gets injured. Lamar Jackson is a elite player who elevates those around him.

  30. I appreciate and agree with Mike Vick, unfortunately, he can’t relate to Lamar because he was able to throw from the pocket and Lamar is just an injured RB

  31. Woody JOhnson has a lot of money. Maybe, for once in his life, he could spend in a smart way on Lamar, and, for once, his spending of money will have a positive outcome. Put Lamar on the Jets please. Rightfully, Lamar would be out there if his future beyond next year was guaranteed in the form of a huge signing bonus.

  32. If he plays hurt and gets hurt even worse, there goes his contract negotiations. Players have to take care of themselves, because the teams dont care.

    Look at Tua, they said he didnt have a concussion and put him back out 4 days later for him to get a really bad concussion.

  33. Most teams prioritize QB,WR,LT,CB, and edge rusher.

    QB= The alienated an elite QB who clearly elevates those around him by not surrounding him with worst skill position players in the NFL and not prioritizing a long-term contract.

    WR= LOL. Not one player would get snaps on any other team. Most literary couldn’t make a roster

    LT= Ronnie Stanley is good on the rare occasion that he is healthy. Orlando Brown is better but Decosta mistakenly chose Stanley.

    Edge= They had an elite one but Decosta let Judon Walk. Now they rely on 90 year old Justin Houston who clearly wore down.

    CB= Humphrey is solid

    So the Ravens only have 2 of the 5 priority positions covered. Andrews, Humphrey, Stanley and Smith are all signed long-term and are also literally the only 4 players other than Jackson worth resigning. This is a poorly run organization. The ship has slowly been sinking since Ozzie Newsome retired. Jackson elevates those around him like all elite QBS so nobody noticed. Jackson should absolutely leave this mess behind him. They will be in the AFC north basement for the next half decade at least.

  34. Remember when people were asking which QB you’d take – Lamar or Josh Allen? Good times…

  35. Lamar has a 10-week attention span when it comes to a football season.

    Talented enough, but the passion just isn’t there.

  36. First thing Jackson should do is take off those silly sunglasses and become a serious leader. Nobody buying it any more

  37. That’s some serious disrespect to everyone on the roster and coaching staff. Imagine working that hard for that long to get to the playoffs, and then Lamar throwing a tantrum and screwing everyone over. The chemistry in that lockerroom right now has gotta be a big yikes.

  38. Yeah Mike, in 2005 a year after you had signed $138 million contract with $45 million in guarantees. Long term contract wise sitting out is the best call. Long term health of the franchise, also the right call, see RG3. Yeah it’s not “gladiator-esque”, but this isn’t Rome and he’s right to protect himself for the long term. The 2005 Falcons finished 8-8. Be better.

  39. sportsfan64 says:
    January 15, 2023 at 12:41 pm
    Remember when people were asking which QB you’d take – Lamar or Josh Allen? Good times…
    ====================
    ====================

    Still a reasonable Question. I’d lean towards Allen because he is bigger and has the bigger arm but Jackson is more accurate (75% to 73% on target) and less turnover prone. Allen looked like a bust before Diggs while Jackson has never had a quality WR.

  40. Lamar remains the best QB of his draft class, a unanimous MVP. Nobody can take that away from him.

  41. Nobody has to be the bad guy here. Maybe the Ravens are smart not to pay a record guaranteed salary a mobile QB expecting his production to hold into his 30’s. Perhaps Jackson is smart to ask for such a contract, because some team will pay it, because his immediate production will be worth absorbing the long term decline for a team more desperate to win now. But absent a long term contract, maybe Jackson is smart to not risk injury playing hurt a month from free agency. In any kind of contracts in the world whether between teams and players or cable companies and channels, the lack of an agreement does not have to mean there is a bad guy. It can just mean both sides value what they bring to the table highly, and this is how the process works.

  42. chickenbiscuit says:
    January 15, 2023 at 10:01 am
    Would you rather have Lamar or someone else with $45M to spend on other players?

    ——————————————————————————————————————

    Sure. Then you’re stuck in Jets and Dolphins land. Great players with no real threat QB.

  43. jerruhjones says:
    January 15, 2023 at 10:33 am
    Remember when Lamer was going to be league MVP? Good times, good times…

    ——————————————————————————————————————

    You mean 2019 NFL MVP Lamar Jackson?

  44. If Baltimore wanted Lamar to play, they should have paid him last summer. They decided to risk it. Oh well!

  45. While I agree that Lamar should not play if his knee is in bad shape, he needs to stop airing it all out in public.

  46. Lamar isn’t a good passer in the pocket, and his big gamble on himself this year failed. It happens

  47. He’ll be back next season. Too much risk of a career ending injury at this point, not worth it.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to leave a comment. Not a member? Register now!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.