Eric DeCosta: There is no player I would rather have on my team than Lamar Jackson

The Ravens were eliminated from the postseason with Sunday’s loss to the Bills in the divisional round, raising some questions about how quarterback Lamar Jackson will fare in the postseason.

While Jackson put the team in position to tie the game late, he also had two first-half goals that affected the course of the game.

But general manager Eric DeCosta doesn’t buy into any of the negative postseason narratives when it comes to Jackson.

“I can say there is no player I would rather have on my team than Lamar Jackson,” DeCosta said in his season-ending news conference on Wednesday. “I think he’s the best midfielder in the league. That’s my answer to that question.”

Jackson signed a five-year contract with the Ravens in April 2023, which could be restructured during the upcoming offseason. But DeCosta said he won’t start those conversations with Jackson for a while.

“Yes, we’ve seen teams do that,” DeCosta said. “Lamar and I have had a lot of contract discussions over the years, and at some point, I’ll probably talk to Lamar. I’m really happy (and) lucky to have watched him play football this year. We just finished the season — I want Lamar to relax a little bit.” He reflects back on what we have accomplished as a team and what he has accomplished individually.

“Maybe we’ll have those conversations at some point. And from what I’ve seen with Lamar, he’s grown a lot — even just in the last couple of years, in terms of his game as a player, as a leader (and) as a person. I love talking to him. We communicate all the time. And like I said, I’m lucky For being with him for the past seven years.

Jackson is on pace to win his third AP MVP award after completing 66.7 percent of his passes for 4,172 yards with 41 touchdowns and four interceptions in 2024. He led the league with a career-high 119.6 passer rating while also rushing for 915 yards and four interceptions. TDs.