Last season, the Baltimore Ravens suffered a disappointing end to their season, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers on a missed field goal in their final regular-season game.
Jackson played in that game and tallied 238 passing yards in the loss. He also had four carries for just nine rushing yards, while teammate Derrick Henry did most of the running and came away with 128 yards.
The two-time Most Valuable Player played in just 13 games last season due to various injuries. During that time, he posted a 6-7 record as the team’s starting quarterback, and he’s looking to be back on the field and doing more this coming season.
“I believe you know, I know, a lot of people know, I was hurt last year, too. You know? So I really couldn’t do anything I wanted, so I wouldn’t put my team in a good position if I was just running hurt,” he told reporters from practice on Wednesday.
“Whatever it takes to win, that’s what I’m all about,” Jackson said, reiterating “Whatever it takes to win,” when asked if he’ll do more running this coming season.
Jackson finished last season with 67 carries for a career-low 349 yards and two rushing touchdowns. In comparison, he had over double that amount of rushing yards in 2021 and 2022, despite playing in just 12 games each of those seasons.
He’s also previously broken rushing records for a quarterback. In 2019, he ran for 1,206 yards, the most for any NFL quarterback in a single season. During that season, Jackson surpassed the previous total of 1,039 yards set by retired NFL star Michael Vick in 2006.
His versatility as a mobile quarterback is something Jackson was heralded for in his earlier seasons in the NFL. Adding Henry to the roster has taken a lot of the load and responsibility off Jackson when it comes to his mobility.
Based on his recent comments, he’s ready for a new season, potentially with fewer injury woes than in the previous campaign. The Ravens begin their 2025 campaign with a regular-season opener on Sunday, Sept. 13, at the Indianapolis Colts.