He’s 29, frustrated he still hasn’t won a Super Bowl and waiting on a new contract from the Baltimore Ravens, but a veteran multi-Pro Bowler has still noticed a significant change in franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson.
It’s a change in Jackson’s maturity, and few names on the Ravens’ roster are more qualified to talk about any differences in the two-time NFL MVP’s mindset than Calais Campbell. The 39-year-old defensive end returned to Baltimore this offseason after previously playing on the same team as Jackson from 2020-22.
Campbell’s a six-time Pro Bowler and former first-team All-Pro, so he knows how an experienced QB1 is supposed to carry himself. It means there’s a lot of credibility to Campbell’s take on how Jackson is handling expectations during a year defined by uncertainty.
Calais Campbell Has Noticed Something Different About Lamar Jackson
Speaking to SiriusXM NFL Radio, Campbell revealed how “With Lamar, you can see it. Even when he breaks out of the huddle, the stuff he says, you can tell he’s just so much more mature, and is developed. He was always wise beyond his years when he was younger, but seeing in just a few years the growth and development … he’s right where he needs to be.”
What he’s seen from the face of the franchise during the brief time he’s been back at M&T Bank Stadium, has Campbell believing Jackson’s “going to continue to get better as a leader, and continue to get better as the person that we look to in the biggest moments. He’s the guy that’s going to lead us to where we want to go.”
This may read like typical offseason speak from a true pro who’s used to presenting a united front at this time on the football calendar. Yet, Campbell’s assessment of where Jackson is mentally is more significant given the context surrounding the Ravens and their most important player.
Ravens Changing in Big Ways
Campbell sharing the practice field again is one of the few familiar things happening for the Ravens this offseason. Almost everything else is different, particularly around Jackson.
He’s operating under a new head coach for the first-time in his career after rookie sideline general Jesse Minter replaced longtime former boss John Harbaugh. Minter hired a new offensive coordinator, Declan Doyle, who’s already reframed expectations for Jackson before and during the 2026 NFL season.
Jackson is working with Doyle, and that means doing things differently on the field. Namely, by spending more time under center, even though Jackson is dealing with a major change at this key position.
Adapting to a new scheme at this stage of his career is a test of Jackson’s refinement and nuance as an established, elite signal-caller. Putting in the work to master a different playbook will take almost all of Jackson’s focus at a time when his future is far from locked in beyond next season.
Finally signing what’s tipped to be a market-altering new deal would only increase the burden on Jackson to at last get the Ravens over the hump in the playoffs. That’s sure to be a stern test of his resolve and ability to still lead under pressure.
Fortunately, those things demand the kind of maturity Campbell is seeing in Jackson.
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