Some of the most meaningful praise one can earn comes from someone who once stood in the shoes a player currently wears.
Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III took the league by storm in his rookie season in 2012 with his dual-threat abilities before a knee injury and the dysfunction of the Washington Commanders organization at the time seemingly ended his run before it ever truly began. Fast forward 12 years later, and now he’s touting Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson as the greatest dual-threat quarterback the league has ever seen.
That’s the kind of performance that Jackson delivered for the Ravens in their 41-38 overtime victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in an epic AFC North clash. Among the jaw-dropping plays that occurred in the shootout between the Ravens and Bengals was Jackson fumbling a snap then rolling to his right and throwing across his body as he was a mere yards away from going out of bounds to find tight end Isaiah Likely in the end zone for a six-yard touchdown with 5:24 the fourth quarter.
“This play sums everything you need to know about Lamar Jackson,” Griffin III wrote on X. Unconventional in every way. Special. The greatest dual-threat QB ever.”
RG3 spent three seasons in Baltimore after Jackson arrived as a rookie in 2018.
Jackson dazzled once again, completing 26 of 42 passes for 348 yards and four touchdowns and also ran for 55 yards. Through five games, the Ravens (3-2) quarterback has thrown for 1,206 yards, nine touchdowns and just one interception. He’s also ran for 363 yards and two touchdowns.
“I never cease to be amazed but I’m always amazed,” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said on Sunday. “I just think so much of [Lamar Jackson], and I think so much of his work ethic; and then just the way he plays the game – it’s unparalleled. He made plays [and] moved himself out of trouble – had the ball thrown away – so many unsung plays where he saved us lost-yardage situations, and he came through.”
The two-time MVP isn’t far off from also having the stats to back up RG3’s claim that’s the greatest dual-threat quarterback of all time. Jackson is currently third all-time in rushing yards by a quarterback with 5,621, only trailing Michael Vick (6,109) and Cam Newton (5,631). He’s also five rushing touchdowns away from cracking the top 10 in rushing touchdowns by a quarterback.
Newton, who holds the record with 75 rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, Vick, Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers, Steve Young and Randall Cunningham rank in the top 10 in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns by a quarterback.
