History of Lamar Jackson in Timeline

Lamar Jackson is a prominent American football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens. Renowned for his exceptional dual-threat capabilities, he won the Heisman Trophy in 2016 while at Louisville. Drafted by the Ravens in 2018, Jackson has earned two NFL MVP awards and holds the record for all-time quarterback rushing yards. He is widely considered one of the best quarterbacks of his era and a top dual-threat quarterback in NFL history.

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Full Timeline

1989: Joe Montana's Perfect Passer Rating

In 1989, Joe Montana was one of the players that Lamar Jackson joined as the only players in the Super Bowl era with 15-plus completions, 3-plus passing touchdowns, 1-plus rushing touchdowns, and a perfect passer rating in a single game.

January 7, 1997: Lamar Jackson Jr. Born

On January 7, 1997, Lamar Demeatrice Jackson Jr. was born. He later became a professional football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens.

2005: Death of Father and Grandmother

In 2005, when Lamar Jackson was eight years old, his father died from a heart attack on the same day his grandmother died.

2010: Tom Brady Unanimous MVP

In 2010, Tom Brady was the first player to be voted unanimously as the MVP, before Lamar Jackson also achieved the honor in 2019.

2012: Ravens clinch first AFC Championship Game appearance since 2012

During the Divisional Round against the Houston Texans in 2024, Jackson led Baltimore to a 34–10 victory, clinching their first AFC Championship Game appearance since 2012.

2012: Ravens Last AFC Championship Game

The Baltimore Ravens had not been to the AFC Championship Game since 2012, until Lamar Jackson took them there in 2023.

December 10, 2016: Awarded the 2016 Heisman Trophy

On December 10, 2016, Lamar Jackson was selected as the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner, becoming Louisville's first Heisman Trophy winner and the youngest-ever recipient of the award.

2016: Play of the Year Louie Award

In 2016, Lamar Jackson won a Louie award for Play of the Year after the leap he made in the Syracuse game.

2016: Heisman Trophy Winner

In 2016, Lamar Jackson won the Heisman Trophy while playing college football for the Louisville Cardinals.

2017: Reportedly clocked in a 4.34 40 yard dash

In 2017, Lamar Jackson reportedly clocked in a 4.34 40 yard dash time at Louisville.

2017: Adidas High Performance Male Athlete of the Year

In 2017, Lamar Jackson won a Louie for being named the Adidas High Performance Male Athlete of the Year for his outstanding sophomore campaign at the University of Louisville.

January 5, 2018: Declares for NFL Draft

On January 5, 2018, Lamar Jackson announced that he would enter the 2018 NFL draft, maintaining his desire to play quarterback despite suggestions to switch positions.

June 5, 2018: Signed Rookie Contract with Ravens

On June 5, 2018, Lamar Jackson signed his rookie contract with the Baltimore Ravens, reportedly worth $9.47 million with a $4.97 million signing bonus.

2018: Jackson launches Era 8 Apparel sportswear line

In 2018, Lamar Jackson announced the launch of his sportswear line, Era 8 Apparel.

2018: Jackson founds The Forever Dreamers Foundation

In 2018, Lamar Jackson founded The Forever Dreamers Foundation which supports children's welfare and mental health awareness.

2018: Drafted by Ravens

In 2018, Lamar Jackson was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the NFL draft.

2019: Jackson lives in Owings Mills, Maryland

As of 2019, Lamar Jackson lives in Owings Mills, Maryland, about 20 minutes from the Ravens training complex with his mother and siblings.

2019: Jackson appears on Celebrity Family Feud

In 2019, Lamar Jackson appeared on ABC's Celebrity Family Feud.

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2019: Second Player with Two Perfect Passer Ratings

In 2019, Lamar Jackson became only the second player in NFL history to produce two perfect passer ratings in the same season and earned his third AFC Offensive Player of the Week award.

2019: Pope Francis receives signed Jackson Ravens jersey

In 2019, Pope Francis was gifted a signed Lamar Jackson Ravens jersey.

2019: Ravens break the single-season rushing record

In 2019, the Ravens broke the single-season rushing record, with Lamar Jackson breaking Michael Vick's record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single season.

2019: Ravens clinch AFC North championship

In 2019, the win against the Miami Dolphins clinched the top-seed in the AFC and the AFC North championship for the Ravens.

2019: Voted MVP of 2019 Season

Lamar Jackson was voted the MVP of the 2019 NFL season and became the second player after Tom Brady in 2010 to be voted unanimously, and the second-youngest player to win.

February 2020: BET Digital highlights Jackson as a vanguard

In February 2020, BET Digital highlighted Lamar Jackson as one of 40 of the most inspiring and innovative vanguards in African American culture.

March 2020: Jackson files lawsuit against Amazon

In March 2020, Lamar Jackson filed a federal lawsuit against Amazon, charging the corporate giant with engaging in the "deliberate and unauthorized use" of Jackson's name, image and persona.

August 2020: Jackson signs endorsement deal with Oakley, Inc.

In August 2020, Lamar Jackson signed an endorsement deal with Oakley, Inc., a company that produces sunglasses, sports goggles and football helmet visors.

November 26, 2020: Tests Positive for COVID-19

On November 26, 2020, Lamar Jackson tested positive for COVID-19 and was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, sidelining him for a period.

December 2020: Jackson and Dreamers Foundation distribute gifts

In December 2020, Lamar Jackson and his Dreamers Foundation distributed gifts and toys to more than 150 families in the Baltimore area.

2020: Multiple 1,000-yard Rushing Seasons

In 2020, Lamar Jackson became the first quarterback with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons and led the Ravens to a third straight playoff appearance.

2020: Pro Bowl Offensive MVP

In 2020, Lamar Jackson was the starting quarterback at the Pro Bowl in Orlando, Florida, where he was named the offensive Most Valuable Player and became the youngest quarterback in NFL history to start a Pro Bowl game.

April 30, 2021: Ravens exercise fifth-year option on Jackson's contract

On April 30, 2021, the Ravens exercised the fifth-year option on Lamar Jackson's contract, guaranteeing him $23 million for the 2022 season.

2021: Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott's 2021 deal

In 2021, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott's deal was the biggest signing bonus in NFL history.

May 2022: Jackson enters the restaurant business

In May 2022, it was announced that Lamar Jackson had entered the restaurant business with the purchase of a soul food restaurant in his home state of Florida. Tasty's Soul Food Sports Bar & Grill in Pompano Beach will change its name to Play Action Soulfood and More.

September 2022: Jackson to be cover star of NFL's first VR game

In September 2022, Lamar Jackson posted on his Twitter that he would be the cover star of NFL's first virtual reality (VR) game, NFL Pro Era.

December 23, 2022: Release of NFL Pro Era

On December 23, 2022, the game "NFL Pro Era" released on PlayStation VR and Meta Quest.

2022: Jackson leads the NFL in quarterback rating

Throughout 2022, Lamar Jackson declined a contract extension believing that he was worth more. During the first month of the 2022 NFL season, Jackson led the league in quarterback rating (119.0) and passing touchdowns (10).

March 7, 2023: Ravens place non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson

On March 7, 2023, the Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Lamar Jackson.

September 17, 2023: Jackson leads Ravens to victory against Bengals

On September 17, 2023, Lamar Jackson led the Ravens to a 27–24 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals, completing 24-of-33 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 54 yards.

October 16, 2023: Jackson on the cover of NFL Pro Era II

On October 16, 2023, Jackson was again on the cover of the sequel game, NFL Pro Era II

2023: Second MVP Award

In 2023, Lamar Jackson secured his second NFL MVP award while leading the Ravens to their first AFC Championship Game since 2012.

January 3, 2024: Ravens announce Jackson would be inactive for the final game

On January 3, 2024, the Ravens announced that Lamar Jackson would be inactive for the final game of the regular season.

2024: Jackson sets career highs in passing yards, passing touchdowns, and passer rating

During 2024, Lamar Jackson started all 17 games, completing 316 of 474 passes, a 66.7%. He also had career highs in passing yards (4,172), passing touchdowns (41), and passer rating (119.6).

2024: Jackson breaks Vick's record for most rushing yards

In 2024, Lamar Jackson broke Michael Vick's record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a career.

2024: Jackson passes Michael Vick's NFL record

In 2024, Lamar Jackson passed Vick's NFL record for career rushing yards by a quarterback on Christmas.

2024: Career Highs in Passing and All-Time Rushing Leader

In 2024, Lamar Jackson set career highs in passing, became the all-time leader in quarterback rushing yards, and tied the record for most perfect passer rating games with four.

2024: Best Play at the ESPY Awards

In 2024, at home against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, Jackson completed a batted pass to himself. The play was named best play at the 2024 ESPY Awards.

March 2025: Jackson makes cameo in Power Book III: Raising Kanan

In March 2025, Lamar Jackson made a cameo appearance as E-Tone in the Starz crime drama series, Power Book III: Raising Kanan.

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April 2025: Dreamers Foundation launches Forever Dreamers 8 Scholars program

In April 2025, Lamar Jackson's Dreamers Foundation launched the Forever Dreamers 8 Scholars program, giving high school seniors in the Park Heights community a chance to work in Maryland's thoroughbred racing industry.