Chris Simms Shuts Down Mike Florio's Questioning of Lamar Jackson's Effectiveness as He Ages
Chris Simms has had it with people disrespecting Lamar Jackson.
When Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio questioned whether Jackson can still be effective as he gets older and perhaps isn't as dangerous as a runner, Simms pushed back hard.
"Everybody thinks Lamar's going to fall off the planet when he can't run, and I just wanna go, 'Have you watched Lamar Jackson the past few years?'" Simms said. "He's an incredible passer. He's an incredible decision-maker. Like, what are we talking about? And that's the disrespect I don't like that comes to Lamar in that way.
"There's still a little faction of people that go, 'Oh, he's just a running back playing quarterback,' and I'm like, 'He threw 41 touchdowns and [four] interceptions a few years ago.' The passing numbers are off the charts. I think he's still got a lot of good years left in that right arm."
Simms added: "We're not having these conversations about Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes, and that's just where I think that it's a little unfair to Lamar."
Florio persisted, saying, "The Father Time thing is gonna happen. He's been hit a lot." He then suggested Simms is defending Jackson because he doesn't "want to get dragged by Ravens fans."
That pushed Simms over the edge.
Simms agreed with Florio that defenses will play Jackson differently if they perceive him as less of a threat to run, but he reiterated that Jackson has proved that he can adjust.
"I think he's shown that it doesn't matter if you play pass defense against him, he is going to throw for 300 yards and three touchdowns and one interception, and he's going to go, 'Eat that s— with your pass defense,' Simms said.
Pundit Predicts Ravens Will Be Last Undefeated Team This Season
To mark the regular season being 100 days away, ESPN’s NFL staff made some predictions and observations, a few of which involved the Ravens.
Field Yates predicted the Ravens will be the last team to lose a game.
"The league has many heavyweight bouts early on in the schedule -- the kickoff game is a Super Bowl rematch. But the Ravens don't face a team that made the playoffs last season until Nov. 1, when they face the Bills," Yates wrote.
Interestingly, while the Ravens have been one of the NFL's winningest teams since their inception, they haven't had many long winning streaks to start the season. Their best start was 4-0 in 2006. They went 3-0 in 2009 and 2016.
Ben Solak named the Ravens-Steelers game at M&T Bank Stadium in Week 18 as one of five must-watch games.
"The final Ravens-Steelers contest last season ended with a Tyler Loop shank and a Mike Tomlin chest thumping," Solak wrote. "It also included two unreal hero throws from Lamar Jackson. Will this matchup lose its typical intensity now that John Harbaugh and Tomlin no longer patrol the sidelines? I doubt it! Somehow, some way, this game will end up mattering for the playoffs."
Seth Walder ranked his top 10 MVP candidates, and Jackson was No. 2, behind Allen.
"He's coming off a down season, and a new offensive coordinator in Declan Doyle means more uncertainty," Walder wrote. "But if Jackson is healthy, there's every reason to believe the two-time MVP can reach the mountaintop again."
Three Ravens Ranked 2022 Draft Class' Best Player at Their Positions
With the 2022 draft class entering its fifth season, The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner ranked the top five players at each position based on their pro performances. Three Ravens picks were deemed the No. 1 player at their respective positions.
Safety Kyle Hamilton (Round 1, No. 14) and center Tyler Linderbaum (Round 1, No. 25) were no-brainers. Defensive tackle Travis Jones (Round 3, No. 76), while not as much of a household name outside Baltimore, was the other.
"So many analysts (rightly) focused on [the Philadelphia Eagles'] Jordan Davis' freaky measurables and testing numbers at the 2022 combine, to the point that the attention overshadowed what Baltimore found in the third round," Baumgardner wrote. "Travis Jones is a great example of a prospect who was dripping with athletic traits, but also came with questions about his technique and ability to win against high-level talent. He's answered the bell, though, as an ascending talent, both against the run and as a pass rusher."
Regarding Hamilton, Baumgardner said he has a case to be the second-best player in the class behind Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who was the second-overall pick.
"Kyle Hamilton is the best safety in the league. That Hamilton fell all the way to No. 14 remains ridiculous," Baumgardner wrote.
Two other Ravens picks made the top five: tight end Isaiah Likely (No. 4) and guard Daniel Faalele (No. 4).
Malaki Starks, Elijah Sarratt Say 'It's Been Great' Working With Jesse Minter and His Staff
The second week of OTAs is in the books, and new Head Coach Jesse Minter and his staff continue to get rave reviews from players.
"It's been great," second-year safety Malaki Starks said on NFL Network. "The positive energy, the competitiveness that he brings, the leadership that he brings. And so smart, like defensive-minded. Just to be able to learn from him and the guys that he's brought in as well, it's been awesome just to see how he operates with things and does things a little differently.
Rookie wide receiver Elijah Sarratt expressed a similar sentiment.
Ravens Play in Two of the Top Revenge Games of 2026
FOX Sports’ Greg Auman ranked the top 10 revenge games for the coming season, and the Ravens are involved in two:
No 4. EDGE Trey Hendrickson vs. Cincinnati Bengals (Week 7)
"Trey Hendrickson made the Pro Bowl four straight years with the Cincinnati Bengals, led the NFL with 17.5 sacks in 2024, but this was a nasty split, with holdouts and one-year band-aid deals and a final breakup this offseason. The Bengals are trying to get a terrible defense improved after losing one of their best players, and now they have to face him twice in the division as well. Keeping Joe Burrow healthy and upright is always a Bengals priority, but Hendrickson will be motivated to pile up sacks in these two games."
No. 6 RB Derrick Henry vs. Tennessee Titans (Week 4)
"No real ill will here, as Derrick Henry has said he'll always have love for the Tennessee Titans. He played eight years for Tennessee, rushing for 9,502 yards and 90 touchdowns. He continues to be a dominant bell cow back at age 32 and will likely finish his career with the Baltimore Ravens, but he gets his first game against his old team this season."
