The Great Weight Debate Surrounding Lamar Jackson Rages On
Lamar Jackson’s leaner physique continues to be a hot topic, with pundits weighing in on whether a skinnier Jackson is a good thing or not.
Jackson said this week that he doesn’t know exactly how much weight he’s lost, but he revealed last month in an interview with Complex that he’s down to 205, which is 25 pounds less than he was in 2022 and 10 pounds less than he was last season. He said he shed the pounds to be more agile.
ESPN’s Pat McAfee and Dan Orlovsky believe less is more regarding Jackson’s weight.Lamar has this ability to not take a massive shot,” McAfee said. “So, if he’s lighter, faster, and still has the ability to miss people, it feels like this is a good move for Lamar Jackson, especially if you have guys like Derrick Henry and Patrick Ricard in the backfield alongside of you. This feels like a smart play. I like this for Lamar.”
the logic in Jackson shedding weight.
“While the adjustment seems counterintuitive from the standpoint of being able to absorb punishment, it makes sense when pressed against the offensive changes made by coordinator Todd Monken last season,” Robinson wrote. “Monken’s offense moved away from the methodical pounding running game of previous coordinator Greg Roman, demanding a more up-tempo style that leaned heavily on Jackson leading the decisions in the rushing attack while also making adjustments at the line of scrimmage. In the process, it became more clear that a bigger frame also meant a less agile runner, leading to more punishment absorbed.
“The difference now — in theory — is that Jackson should be more elusive when he’s running the ball or navigating the pocket, while also not wearing down late in games while pushing a higher tempo scheme. It also dials Jackson closer to his 2019 frame, which saw him put up arguably the best season of his career in terms of production, which capped the first of his two MVP seasons.”
