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Lamar Jackson is right there. His passer rating this season is 121.6. Aaron Rodgers’ record from 2011 is 122.5. The gap is almost laughably small, and with a big performance against the Browns on Saturday, Jackson could snag the all-time single-season passer rating crown. But you know what? He doesn’t care. Not right now. Not in the slightest.
“If I’m in my childhood mindset [with] breaking a record, yes,” Jackson said when asked about it. “But I’m trying to win games, so it really [doesn’t] matter. If it happens, it happens. If it [doesn’t, it] probably will happen sometime down the line.”
He’s got bigger fish to fry. The AFC North is on the line, and Jackson isn’t the type to get distracted by individual accolades. That mindset, clearly shows that he’s up there, with the big names. And It’s part of why he’s one of the best in the league right now.
The record is close, but does it even matter to Lamar Jackson right now?
It is true that the records are really nice. Rodgers’ 122.5 passer rating is legendary for a reason. But let’s not forget: passer rating is just one (flawed) metric in a sea of stats. It doesn’t capture the full picture of what a quarterback brings to the table, and honestly, Jackson has already proven he’s more than numbers.
He’s hit a passer rating of 134.4 or higher—the number he needs to break the record—seven times this season. Seven. Including two of his last three games. If it happens, it happens. But if it doesn’t? No one’s questioning how good he is.
Jackson’s season has been ridiculous. He’s efficient, he’s explosive, and he’s clutch. Whether he breaks the record or not, his name is already in the conversation for one of the best seasons by a quarterback. Ever.
MVP? That’s a different story
Here’s where things get plenty interesting. The last five quarterbacks to post seasons in the top-five passer ratings all walked away with the MVP. Rodgers (2011, 2020), Peyton Manning (2004), Tom Brady (2007), Matt Ryan (2016)—you get the pattern.
Is Jackson next in line? His teammates sure think so. Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum put it plainly: “He’s just a special player… there’s no one more deserving of that award than Lamar Jackson.”
Bottom line: Lamar Jackson is doing Lamar Jackson things. Record or no record, he’s locked in, and the Ravens are better for it.
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