“The League Should Be Worried” – Lamar Jackson’s Fresh Move Under Jesse Minter Gets Fans Excited

Lamar Jackson attended the voluntary part of phase one workout after two years.

“The League Should Be Worried” – Lamar Jackson’s Fresh Move Under Jesse Minter Gets Fans Excited

Lamar Jackson attends the Ravens voluntary training camp (Image via IMAGO/X)

In Short
  • Lamar Jackson attended the Ravens' voluntary training camp for the first time in three years under new head coach Jesse Minter.
  • Jackson's presence at the camp has generated excitement among fans and speculation about his motivation.
  • The Ravens restructured Jackson's contract, reducing his cap hit for 2026 while maintaining a significant payout.

Things are changing inside the Baltimore Ravens through the hands of Lamar Jackson. After missing out on the voluntary part of the off-season training the last two years, the All-Pro quarterback shocked the football community by showing up on the first day of the current camp.

On Monday, the Ravens kicked off the 2026 voluntary camp at their facility under the watchful gaze of new head coach Jesse Minter. Lamar was among the first to arrive at the designated location, wearing a “I love Jesus” hoodie.

A short while later, a video posted by the Ravens (later shared by Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team) showed the two-time league MVP running a few fitness drills.

Fans on social media react to Lamar Jackson showing up to the Ravens’ voluntary training camp

As the name of the session suggests, “voluntary” means that it is not compulsory for players to attend this camp, which applies to every team across the league. Then again, leaders and captains still show up, setting a good example for younger players.

"The League Should Be Worried" - Lamar Jackson's Fresh Move Under Jesse Minter Gets Fans Excited
Lamar Jackson (Image via IMAGO)

Jackson did not follow the tradition and skipped phase one of the offseason workouts the last two years. He opted to train by himself. As punishment, the Ravens fined him $750k on both occasions. He finally broke that cycle by joining his teammate on Monday. Football fans speculated about the sudden change in Jackson’s approach.

On the day of his first press conference as the offensive coordinator of the Ravens, Declan Doyle urged his players to attend the voluntary workout session.

We expect them to be here. It certainly is voluntary, but if you want to say that you’re going to win a championship, you want to say that you have championship goals and expectations, that’s going to take work and collaboration.

Doyle said

Sure, Doyle’s remarks angered a few people, but the players clearly heard them. Jackson’s presence proves that theory. And not just him, the camp was attended by All-Pro running back Derrick Henry, recently signed edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, and All-Pro DB Marlon Humphrey.

The Ravens made changes to Lamar Jackson’s contract

Jackson signed a five-year contract extension worth $260 million in 2023. With three years chalked off the deal, Jackson is fast approaching the deadline when he will become eligible for a second contract.

Before reaching that part, the Ravens tweaked the 29-year-old’s current deal. He faced a $74.5 million cap charge for 2026, with the salary sitting at $51.25 million for the 2026-27 NFL season. General manager Eric DeCosta converted a chunk of that into a signing bonus. According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Jackson is slated to earn a roughly $49.95 million signing bonus, paired with a $1.3 million base salary and a $750k workout bonus.

Per Spotrac, Jackson’s payout remains $52 million, but his cap number has been reduced to $40 million. However, it is projected to rise to a staggering $84.49 million in 2027.

Also Read: