Jesse Minter Says Lamar Jackson Criticism Drives Him “Insane” as Ravens QB Works Through Training Camp
Jesse Minter isn’t holding back when it comes to Lamar Jackson. The first-year Baltimore Ravens head coach has heard the chatter around his quarterback’s dip in the rankings, and he wants no part of it.
“It drives me insane some of the stuff people say about Lamar,” Minter said, appearing on The Up & Adams Show. “There’s nobody we’d rather have as a quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens.”
Up & Adams posted the clip on X on August 6: “It drives me insane some of the stuff people say about [Lamar Jackson]…” —
"It drives me insane some of the stuff people say about [Lamar Jackson]…" @Ravens | @Coach_Minter | @Lj_era8 | @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/OmpfxGLnqB
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) August 6, 2026
The comments land in the middle of a Ravens training camp that’s already looked different from anything Jackson has experienced in his career. Minter, hired back in January after Baltimore moved on from John Harbaugh, has been putting Jackson under center far more often than in past seasons — a shift ClutchPoints reported stems partly from new play caller Declan Doyle’s system. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has also noted the change, describing “a little renewed energy, a little more buy-in from players” around the shift.
Where the Criticism Started
Jackson’s slide down the NFL’s player-voted rankings is what set this off. He came into the offseason at No. 2 on the NFL Top 100 list a year ago. This summer, his peers dropped him to No. 69 — a 67-spot fall that made headlines across the league the moment it was revealed in July.
The number stuck with Jackson enough that he addressed it directly with reporters in camp. “The 69 thing,” Jackson said. “The ratings, whatever it is. I’ve seen that. People were tagging me.” Asked about it further, he shrugged it off: “It is what it is. I play football. I do not care about rankings.”
It’s hard to separate the ranking drop from the season that produced it. Jackson missed four games in 2025 with injuries and finished with 2,549 passing yards, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions — modest numbers by his own standard. Baltimore went 8-9 and missed the playoffs for the second time in his career.
| Category | Jackson’s 2025 Season |
|---|---|
| Passing Yards | 2,549 |
| Touchdowns | 21 |
| Interceptions | 7 |
| Games Missed | 4 |
| NFL Top 100 Rank | No. 69 (down from No. 2) |
Jackson still owns a career postseason record of 3-5 with seven interceptions in the playoffs, and he has yet to reach a Super Bowl despite two MVP awards. Those are the numbers his critics point to. They’re also the numbers Minter says he isn’t interested in relitigating.
Minter’s Approach: Block Out the Noise
“I don’t really buy into anything that’s said about Lamar,” Minter said. “I’m not like I’m not listening to, ‘oh this happened’ or whatever. He’s just developing as a real leader. He’s taken ownership of the team.”
That framing lines up with what Minter has said elsewhere in camp about Jackson’s mindset heading into a contract situation that now carries more weight — Jackson has two seasons left on his deal, without the long-term security he had entering the 2023 campaign. Minter has instead pointed to Jackson’s focus, saying his quarterback has “a real narrow focus on what we’re trying to accomplish” this summer.
The trust extends to scheme, too. Playing Jackson under center more isn’t a small tweak — it’s a departure from the shotgun- and pistol-heavy identity that’s defined his game since he entered the league. Doyle’s offense leans on it, and early reports suggest Jackson has taken to it well through spring practices and the first weeks of camp.
What’s Next
Jackson is set to play his ninth NFL season, his first working under Minter and Doyle. Baltimore continues camp in Owings Mills before joint practices later this month, with the regular season opener still weeks away. How the new-look offense — and Jackson under center — translates once games count will go a long way toward answering the questions his ranking raised in July.
