The upcoming NFL season promises to showcase a rejuvenated version of Lamar Jackson, according to his Baltimore Ravens teammate Zay Flowers. After a disappointing 2023 campaign that saw the Ravens miss the playoffs for the first time since 2021, the organization is eager to turn the page. The team finished 8-9, ceding the AFC North crown to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a decisive week‑final showdown. Jackson, a two‑time MVP, was sidelined for four games due to injuries, and the Ravens stumbled out of the gate with a 1-5 start that forced them into a perpetual catch‑up mode.
Even when Jackson returned, his performances never quite reached the electrifying, game‑changing heights that defined his earlier years. Nonetheless, analysts and insiders alike predict that he will emerge stronger this September as Baltimore re‑launches its Super Bowl quest.
"They’re going to see a different version this year," wide receiver Zay Flowers told Sky Sports. "Under a new system, he gets a fresh start. He’s going to be healthy, he’s going to take care of himself, everything.
You’ll see a new version of everybody, if I’m being honest. Soon, real soon, everybody. Real soon." Flowers has cemented himself as Jackson’s most reliable target, leading the Ravens last season with 86 receptions for 1,211 yards and five touchdowns.
Jackson’s own numbers reflected a mixed picture: he completed 192 of 302 attempts (a 63.6% completion rate) for 2,549 yards, 21 passing touchdowns and seven interceptions, while his rushing total dipped to a career‑low 349 yards—well below the 695‑plus yards he has consistently produced in previous campaigns. Despite the dip, Jackson remains one of the NFL’s most recognizable faces and a perennial contender in the league’s championship conversation, having silenced early‑draft doubts to become a versatile, elite play‑maker. Flowers praised Jackson’s consistency and authenticity, noting that the quarterback never compromises his identity for external pressures.
"He stayed true to himself. He doesn’t change for anybody," Flowers said.
"He’s always going to be him and you can count on that. Consistency, being yourself, confidence, and putting God first—that’s a formula that always wins. That’s what he’s got." For younger teammates like second‑year wide receiver LaJohntay Wester, witnessing Jackson’s magic remains awe‑inspiring. "It’s crazy," Wester remarked.
"Some of the things he does are just unreal. I saw him scramble in practice last year and put the ball behind his back like he was playing basketball. Quarterback coaches usually tell them not to do that, but it’s Lamar Jackson—Lamarvelous.
Seeing him replicate the Sunday highlights in weekday practice is just him being himself." Off the field, Baltimore experienced a seismic shift in leadership. After 18 seasons at the helm, head coach John Harbaugh departed, making way for former Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. Flowers sees this as a universal chance for renewal.
"It’s a new opportunity for everybody," he said. "Players who didn’t get a chance to prove themselves under Coach Harbaugh now have a fresh slate with Coach Minter. You can feel that energy in the locker room.
He brings energy, everyone wants to play, and we’re all excited to start anew and chase the same goal—a Super Bowl." Both Flowers and Wester echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the renewed vigor that Minter’s arrival has injected into the franchise. Wester added, "The new coaching staff, especially Coach Minter, is bringing a new energy into the building.
That’s something the Ravens missed last year, and we have it this year. Everyone is on board, and we have a solid plan." The Ravens have been knocking on the Super Bowl door for several seasons, falling short in the divisional round three times since 2019 and suffering an AFC Championship loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at the close of the 2023 season. Yet the team remains a central figure in the AFC power struggle, determined to break the Chiefs’ dominance and contend for the title once more in 2026.
Flowers highlighted the motivational effect of playing alongside elite talent. "If you look around, you see Derrick Henry, then you look to your right and see Lamar Jackson, and you think, ‘I have to grind, I have to bring my best,’" he said. "Great players push you to become the best version of yourself." For Wester, the presence of veterans like Zay Flowers, Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson serves as a catalyst for his own growth.
Drafted in the sixth round out of Colorado, Wester primarily contributed as a return specialist last season. "I’m a young guy, so seeing guys like Zay, Derrick, Lamar every day working hard makes me want to work even harder to impress them," he explained. "They’re legends in my city. Being around them means you can’t afford to slip up—you have to be on point and have your ducks in a row." In summary, the Ravens head into the new season with a revitalized quarterback, a fresh coaching perspective, and a roster hungry for redemption.
Lamar Jackson’s health, coupled with the strategic adjustments under Coach Minter, could very well produce the most compelling iteration of his game yet. If the team can harness the collective energy described by Flowers and Wester, Baltimore may finally translate its talent into a championship run, delivering the long‑awaited Super Bowl appearance that both players and fans have been yearning for.