Lamar Jackson: 'I've got to get a championship now'

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is aware of the pressure on him as Baltimore gets ready for the playoffs after a bye in the wild-card round.

"I remember coming into the building with all of those guys. Now, it's just like me, Gus (Edwards) and Mark (Andrews)," Jackson recently told The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec. "We had so many guys. It was incredible, man. They're all around the league right now and we're not in the same locker room anymore. It's crazy.

"It made me sit back and realize, 'Damn, I'm getting older. I've got to get a championship now.' That’s one of the reasons I'm stressing that I need to win it. I'm not getting any younger. It's best to win it now."

Led by MVP favorite Jackson, the Ravens host the Houston Texans on Saturday. They had a bye last week after finishing the regular season with a 13-4 record and the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

Jackson and Co. have been in a similar situation in the past. During the 2019 season, the star signal-caller was named MVP unanimously while helping Baltimore post the conference's top record. However, the Tennessee Titans stunned the Ravens in the divisional round with a 28-12 win that year.

The 27-year-old recently said that season is "over with," adding, "We're always talking about it. I find myself talking about it, but it's different."

Jackson - who signed a five-year, $260-million extension in the offseason - finished the 2023 season with a 67.2% completion rate to go along with 3,678 yards and 24 touchdowns against seven interceptions. He also rushed for 821 yards and five scores.

The 2018 first-round pick can become only the 10th quarterback to win multiple regular-season NFL MVP awards. The previous nine winners have won at least one Super Bowl title.

"When I first got here, that's been the only message. I know since he got drafted, he's always said he wants to bring a Super Bowl here," Ravens safety Geno Stone said about Jackson. "That's what he's been trying to do his whole career. All of the accomplishments that he's had individually, I know he likes them and everything like that, but he always preaches how he wants a Super Bowl."

Jackson has posted a 58-19 record as an NFL starter in the regular season but is only 1-3 in the playoffs.