Happy Holidays, Cincinnati Bengals fans. It may be Christmas Eve, and not to make this time of year all about this particular holiday, but my goodness, are the rival Baltimore Ravens in a potential world of pain.
My guy Glenn Adams dove deep on the AFC North quarterback situations not long ago, and if I may be honest, let's call it like it is. The two years the Bengals won the division crown with Joe Burrow, two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson failed to finish both those seasons.
Jackson is as dynamic as it gets as far as dual-threat field generals go. However, while Joe Shiesty is getting a little restless of late due to Cincinnati's losses and his own injuries piling up, it would appear things behind the scenes in Baltimore with Lamar aren't great!
Ravens insider advocates for Lamar Jackson trade in reporting on superstar's diva behavior
The Baltimore Sun's Mike Preston ignited quite the stick of literary dynamite in his extensive breakdown of the, well, breakdown of the Ravens-Jackson dynamic.
Although the team still has a shot at the playoffs and did well to rally from a 1-5 start, Preston did not mince words in an epic takedown of Jackson that could make the next press conference mad awkward. Mad props to Preston for his willingness to take that on.
Preston's first dig at Jackson began with body maintenance (or lack thereof):
"The breakdown of an NFL player’s body is natural, but Jackson could help himself. He doesn’t need to be up late at night playing video games or falling asleep in team meetings. He needs to train more around The Castle instead of only attending mandatory minicamps, where he disappears after one day."
Then there was the criticism of Jackson's apparent immature behavior, and how the team bends the knee to his demands.
"A major problem, a lot of it on the Ravens, is that there are team rules and then there are rules for Jackson. That’s why Baltimore practices in the heat of the afternoon instead of in the morning. Once the Ravens become critical of Jackson, he becomes more withdrawn. It’s a shame because Jackson isn’t a mean-spirited person, just an overgrown kid in an adult’s body."
An elite quarterback has a little leeway, but Preston seems to believe Jackson's peculiarities and particulars are impacting the organization in a detrimental way.
Here's the real kicker: After knocking Jackson for his 3-5 playoff record but adding the caveat that he'll probably rebound, Preston asserted that Baltimore should explore trade scenarios.
"The Ravens should look at possible trades, which could net them two or three first-round picks. Jackson would love to play in Miami, where quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is no longer the starter, or possibly Las Vegas, where Brady, a partial owner of the Raiders, has shown a fondness for him. Baltimore should also draft a young quarterback in the early rounds."
Preston added that Ravens head coach John Harbaugh is putting on a brave face to the general public, yet behind closed doors, he's "tired of Jackson."
HOOOOOOH buddy!
Jackson hasn't been quite right this season, but he's dealt with multiple injuries, including a back issue that knocked him out of Week 16's loss to the Patriots. Has he lost a step, and is his running ability already starting to regress before our eyes as Jackson approaches 29 years of age in January? I'm not convinced that's the case.
Nevertheless, it goes to show how vital it is to be a pocket passer first. Unless you're Josh Allen I guess. Dude seems indestructible.
This report changes the context of everything about the Ravens. Like the Bengals, their defense fell well short of expectations, their superstar QB got hurt, and they didn't capitalize on a down year in the division to put themselves in prime playoff position to chase a Super Bowl.
Read More: Bengals can honor Joe Burrow's wishes to get creative with these no-brainer moves
As bad as the Bengals have looked at times, we don't have boots-on-the-ground types questioning Burrow's maturity, care for his body, priorities, behavior in more private interactions with the team, or lack of presence around the team unless he's rehabbing his latest injury.
Can't imagine the Ravens would give up on a two-time MVP. Then again, they almost didn't sign Jackson to his second contract once upon a time. Trading him to the Raiders or Dolphins, in lieu of a better option in this year's draft or in the trade market, wouldn't make much sense at all. Why help Las Vegas or Miami, who are both staring down a potential multi-year rebuild and would have to sacrifice so much just to secure Jackson's services?
Trade buzz is swirling around Burrow. No indication he's going anywhere anytime soon, nor is there any indication that he's a problem inside the building. Burrow is the paragon of class, grace, and resilience. Jackson has often wilted in the biggest moments despite some incredible career peaks.
It's wild that the narrative has already flipped from Burrow trade buzz to a respected source saying very plainly and boldly that Baltimore must see what the trade market for Jackson is. Wow!