The upcoming NFL season promises to showcase a markedly different, more polished 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 franchise is eager for a turnaround. The team finished 8-9, stumbling in the final week with a crushing defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers that cost them the AFC North crown.
Jackson, a two‑time MVP, was sidelined for four games due to injury, contributing to a rocky 1-5 start that forced the Ravens into a perpetual catch‑up mode. Even after returning, he never quite recaptured the electrifying, game‑breaking form that defined his earlier years. Nonetheless, analysts and insiders alike anticipate a resurgence as Baltimore gears up for another Super Bowl push this September. "They’re going to see a different version this year," 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’re going to see a new version of everybody, if I’m being honest.
Soon, real soon, everybody. Real soon." Flowers has emerged as Jackson’s most reliable weapon, leading the Ravens last season with 86 receptions for 1,211 yards and five touchdowns.
His confidence in the quarterback’s abilities is evident, and he believes the upcoming season will highlight a rejuvenated Jackson who is both physically fit and mentally sharp. Jackson’s 2023 statistics illustrate a mixed picture. He completed 192 of 302 passes—a 63.6 percent completion rate—for 2,549 yards, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions. On the ground, however, he posted a career‑low 349 rushing yards, a stark contrast to his usual 600‑plus totals.
Despite the dip, Jackson remains one of the NFL’s marquee faces and a cornerstone of any team with Super Bowl aspirations. He has long dispelled pre‑draft doubts to become one of the league’s most versatile play‑callers. "He stayed true to himself.
He doesn’t change for nobody," Flowers said, describing what makes Jackson special. "He doesn’t change for anything going on in his life. He’s always going to be him and you can count on that. Consistency, being yourself, confidence, and putting God first—that’s what wins.
There’s nothing that can beat that, and that’s what he has." For younger teammates like second‑year wide receiver LaJohntay Wester, the chance to learn from Jackson is still awe‑inspiring. "It’s crazy," Wester exclaimed. "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 tell you not to do that, but it’s Lamar Jackson—Lamarvelous.
Watching him replicate Sunday’s highlights in weekday practice is just him being himself." The offseason also brought a seismic shift in Baltimore’s coaching hierarchy. After 18 seasons at the helm, John Harbaugh departed, and former Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter was hired as the new head coach. Flowers welcomed the change, noting that the fresh leadership offers players who felt overlooked under Harbaugh a chance to prove themselves.
"It’s a new opportunity for everybody," Flowers explained. "Those who didn’t get a chance to shine under Coach Harbaugh now have a fresh start with Coach Minter.
You can feel the energy in the room. He brings energy, everyone wants to play, and we’re all excited to start anew and chase the same goal—a Super Bowl." Wester echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the renewed vigor Minter has injected into the organization. "I’m very excited.
The new coaching staff brings a new energy to the building. That’s something the Ravens missed last year, and we have it now.
Everybody 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 losing an AFC Championship to the Kansas City Chiefs at the end of the 2023 campaign. Yet the team remains a central figure in the AFC power struggle, determined to dethrone the Chiefs and reassert themselves as legitimate contenders in 2026. Flowers summed up the competitive atmosphere: "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 give my best.’ It only makes you better to be around great players.
It pushes you to be the best version of yourself." For Wester, the season also represents personal growth. Drafted in the sixth round out of Colorado, he spent most of his rookie year as a return specialist.
Now, surrounded by veterans like Zay Flowers, Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson, he feels compelled to elevate his game. "I’m a young guy, so seeing guys like Zay, Derrick, Lamar work hard every day makes me want to work even harder to impress them," he said.
"These guys are legends from my city. Being around them means you can’t mess up—you have to be on point and have your ducks in a row." In summary, the Ravens are entering the new season with a revitalized Jackson, a fresh coaching philosophy, and a roster hungry for success. The combination of Jackson’s anticipated health, Flowers’ proven chemistry with the quarterback, and the invigorated energy from Coach Minter could finally translate the franchise’s long‑standing Super Bowl aspirations into reality.
The upcoming weeks will reveal whether this “new version” of Lamar Jackson can indeed lead Baltimore back to the league’s biggest stage.