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Jamison Hensley, ESPN Staff Writer
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — When Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson throws a touchdown pass this season, there’s a chance it will come on a route that he suggested.
One of the biggest changes in the Ravens’ first season under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken is more freedom and input for Jackson. In addition to giving Jackson the leeway to audible, Baltimore is using plays that Jackson has sent to the coaching staff.
“I was just on social media, and I saw a couple of routes, and I sent it to [quarterbacks] Coach Tee [Martin] and he was like, ‘I’m going to relay the message to Coach [Todd] Monken,'” Jackson said after Tuesday’s joint practice with the Washington Commanders. “Coach Monken liked the play, so he put it in practice. We didn’t show it today, but I feel like it will be good for us.”
Ahead of this season, Jackson received a sizable new contract (five years, $260 million) and three new wide receivers (Odell Beckham Jr., Zay Flowers and Nelson Agholor). He has repeatedly expressed excitement about the potential of the passing game this year, even suggesting he could throw for 6,000 yards because of all the new weapons.
Now, teammates see Jackson putting his stamp on a revamped offense that is looking to bounce back from averaging 20.6 points per game, the Ravens’ fewest since 2015.
“[Lamar Jackson]’s got a good eye,” Ravens tight end Mark Andrews said. “If anybody ever asks him, or you just pick his mind about plays and where he sees the game and that sort of thing … And now that he’s getting that input, it’s been great. Yes, he sees the game really well.”
Earlier this month, Monken said he’s a firm believer that you need “to empower” your quarterback for him to play his best. He mentioned that Jackson has become even more diligent and wants to be “elite.”
“He’s a guy [who] thinks about football a lot — it’s on his mind — and I think he always had his ideas,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Tuesday. “He had a couple good ones; I can tell you that.”
Source: www.espn.com