It’s harder to believe with each passing day, but there was a prominent school of thought that believed Lamar Jackson would be best as a wide receiver in the NFL, not a quarterback.
One of the more prominent backers of that view is former Bills and Colts executive Bill Polian. Jackson, however, continues to excel as a quarterback, and Polian admitted to USA Today’s Jarrett Bell this week that he had been far off on his evaluation of the Baltimore Ravens’ star.
“I was wrong, because I used the old, traditional quarterback standard with him, which is clearly why John Harbaugh and (Ravens GM) Ozzie Newsome were more prescient than I was,” Polian said. “And (offensive coordinator Greg Roman) found a way in how he’s developed a system to use those dynamic skills. Bottom line, I was wrong.”
Jackson’s resume is quickly beginning to speak for itself. He’s won 12 of 15 starts and just beat the New England Patriots. He wasn’t happy with the talk about him switching positions before he was drafted, and he has likely used it as motivation through his first two NFL seasons.
Those who thought Jackson could only light up bad defenses were proven wrong on Sunday night. The Patriots, who may have one of the best defenses in NFL history this season, had no answers for him. He clearly has the respect of Tom Brady, which we saw with the exchange the two had following Baltimore’s 37-20 win.
At least one NFL coach also emphatically stated that Jackson would not be able to play quarterback in the league, so Polian isn’t the only one eating his words. At least he was willing to attach his name to his analysis, and you have to give him credit for owning it.
