History of Lamar Jackson in Timeline

Lamar Jackson is a professional football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens. He won the Heisman Trophy in 2016 while playing college football for 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 generation and the greatest dual-threat quarterback ever.

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Full Timeline

1989: Joe Montana's Feat

In 2019, Jackson joined Aaron Rodgers (2019) and Joe Montana (1989) 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 is now a professional football quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL).

2005: Father's and Grandmother's Death

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

2006: Cardinals Highest Ranking Since 2006

Against #2 Florida State, Jackson completed 13-of-20 passes for 216 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in addition to 146 rushing yards and four touchdowns. The game against Florida State gave the Cardinals a #3 ranking, their highest since 2006.

2010: Tom Brady MVP Season

Jackson was voted the MVP of the 2019 season. He became the second player after Tom Brady in 2010 to be voted unanimously and the second-youngest player to win, behind only Jim Brown.

2012: AFC Championship Game Appearance

In 2012, the Ravens clinched their first AFC Championship Game appearance since 2012.

2012: Ravens' AFC Championship Game

In 2023, Lamar Jackson took the Ravens to their first AFC Championship Game since 2012.

2014: High School Career

In 2014, Lamar Jackson's last high school game resulted in a defeat against Miami Central High School, and he was named the Lou Groza Palm Beach County High School Player of the Year.

2015: Freshman Year at Louisville

In 2015, Lamar Jackson played as a freshman at Louisville. He was named the MVP of the 2015 Music City Bowl after passing for 227 yards with two touchdowns and rushing for a Music City Bowl-record 226 yards and two touchdowns.

December 10, 2016: Heisman Trophy Winner

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: Heisman Trophy Winner

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

2016: Play of the Year

In 2017, Jackson won a Louie for Play of the Year after the leap he made in the 2016 Syracuse game.

2017: ACC Athlete of the Year

Following the 2017–18 school year, Jackson was named the men's ACC Athlete of the Year for all conference sports, sharing honors with women's winner Arike Ogunbowale of Notre Dame basketball.

2017: University Awards

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

2017: Heisman Finalist

In 2017, Lamar Jackson was a Heisman finalist for the 2017 season and finished in third place in the Heisman voting. He played in 13 games, finishing with 3,660 passing yards for 27 touchdowns and 10 interceptions to go along with 232 carries for 1,601 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns in the Cardinals' 8–5 season.

2017: Reported 40 Yard Dash Time

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

January 5, 2018: Declared for the NFL Draft

On January 5, 2018, Lamar Jackson announced that he would enter the 2018 NFL draft, declining to run drills at the NFL Scouting Combine to focus on displaying his passing skills.

June 5, 2018: Signed Rookie Contract

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: First Two-Touchdown Game

During a Week 14 game in 2018, Jackson had his first two-touchdown game. In the seven regular season games in which Jackson had started, the Ravens went 6–1 to close out the 2018 season.

2018: Era 8 Apparel Launch

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

2018: Drafted by Ravens

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

2018: Offensive Strategy Shift

Once the 2018 season ended, the Ravens' coaching staff decided to abandon the offensive strategy that had been designed for Joe Flacco and create a new offensive philosophy centered around the specific skills of Jackson.

2019: Personal Life and Influences

As of 2019, Lamar Jackson is a Christian who lives in Owings Mills, Maryland with his mother and siblings, he also has a daughter named Milan. His favorite player as a child was Michael Vick, who inspired his dual-threat playstyle.

2019: Single-Season Rushing Record

In 2019, Jackson became the first quarterback since Michael Vick to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season and broke Vick's single-season rushing record for a quarterback.

2019: Perfect Passer Rating

In 2019, Jackson finished with a perfect passer rating, becoming only the second player in NFL history to produce two perfect passer ratings in the same season.

2019: Celebrity Family Feud, Madden NFL Upgrade, and Madden NFL 21 Cover Athlete

In 2019, Lamar Jackson appeared on ABC's Celebrity Family Feud. His Madden NFL character speed was upgraded to 96, and he became the cover athlete for Madden NFL 21.

2019: AFC North Championship

In 2019, Lamar Jackson clinched the AFC North championship for the first time since 2019.

2019: Signed Jersey Gift to Pope Francis

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

2019: Ravens Rushing Record and Jackson's Rushing Record

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

2019: Season MVP

Jackson was voted the MVP of the 2019 season. He became the second player after Tom Brady in 2010 to be voted unanimously and the second-youngest player to win, behind only Jim Brown.

February 2020: BET Digital Feature

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: Lawsuit Against Amazon

In March 2020, Lamar Jackson filed a federal lawsuit against Amazon for the "deliberate and unauthorized use" of his name, image, and persona related to unlicensed clothing.

August 2020: Endorsement Deal with Oakley, Inc.

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

November 26, 2020: COVID-19 Positive Test

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

2020: Pro Bowl Offensive MVP

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

2020: Multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons

In 2020, Lamar Jackson became the first quarterback to have multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons. He also led the Ravens to their third straight playoff appearance.

April 30, 2021: Fifth-Year Option Exercised

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

2021: Dak Prescott's Signing Bonus

In 2021, Dak Prescott signed a deal with the Cowboys that resulted in the biggest signing bonus in NFL history.

May 2022: Restaurant Business Venture

In May 2022, Lamar Jackson entered the restaurant business by purchasing a soul food restaurant in Florida, with plans to rename it Play Action Soulfood and More.

September 2022: Cover Star of NFL Pro Era

In September 2022, Lamar Jackson announced that he would be the cover star of "NFL Pro Era", NFL's first virtual reality game.

December 23, 2022: Release of NFL Pro Era VR Game

On December 23, 2022, the NFL Pro Era virtual reality game, featuring Lamar Jackson, was released on PlayStation VR and Meta Quest.

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2022: Fifth-Year Option Value

In 2021, the Ravens exercised the fifth-year option on Jackson's contract, worth a guaranteed $23 million for the 2022 season.

2022: Week 2 Game vs. Miami Dolphins and AFC Offensive Player of the Month

In 2022, during a Week 2 game against the Miami Dolphins, Lamar Jackson threw for 318 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 119 yards and one touchdown. He surpassed Michael Vick for the most 100-yard rushing games by a quarterback. Furthermore, for the first month of the 2022 NFL season, Jackson led the league in quarterback rating and passing touchdowns, earning him the AFC Offensive Player of the Month award.

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: Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals Game

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

October 16, 2023: Release of NFL Pro Era II

On October 16, 2023, Lamar 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, simultaneously leading the Ravens to their first AFC Championship Game since 2012.

January 3, 2024: Ravens Announcement and NFL MVP Award

On January 3, 2024, the Ravens announced that Lamar Jackson would be inactive for the final game of the regular season. He later won his second NFL MVP award in a near-unanimous decision.

2024: Career highs in passing

In 2024, 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: Jackson breaks Vick's Career Rushing Record

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

2024: AFC Championship Game

In 2024, Lamar Jackson played in the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs, completing 20-of-37 passes for 272 yards with one touchdown. One of the completed passes was batted into the air and caught by Jackson himself who went for 14 yards. The play was named best play at the 2024 ESPY Awards. However, he lost a fumble and threw an interception in the endzone in the fourth quarter as the Ravens lost 17–10.