by Michael Owens/Getty Images
According to Robert Griffin III, the dynamic between veteran quarterback Joe Flacco and then-rookie signal-caller Lamar Jackson in 2018 was “awkward” as the veteran was unwilling to help his replacement learn the ropes
Speaking on his RG3 and The Ones podcast, Griffin said:
`”It was awkward. Let’s just call it what it was. Joe is a Super Bowl winning quarterback for the Ravens. Went on one of the most unbelievable postseason runs we’ve ever seen at the quarterback position to go win that Super Bowl and Joe did it in a contract year. So not only do they win the Super Bowl, but he bet on himself and they won the Super Bowl.
“So since that moment the Ravens have been struggling getting to the postseason, having postseason success. So they drafted Lamar. They brought me in at first to be in that room with Joe and then they drafted Lamar and really kept me there to help be a mentor for Lamar Jackson.
“… For (Joe) and Lamar, it was more of learn from my example. There’s a viral clip that was going around in 2018, this was Lamar’s rookie year, and it’s me and Joe on the sideline coaching Lamar up about a certain throw and when to make that certain throw and in that moment, I was doing what I normally do every single week with Lamar. Talking about these different throws because I played in six offenses in eight years in my NFL career so I know almost every system in the NFL and had to learn them quickly.
“… That was my focus with Lamar and in that moment Joe jumped in and started teaching Lamar things on the sideline that I was like ‘Oh we’re really going to go somewhere now’ because that was like the first moment that our entire room was like on the same page of we gotta help Lamar do everything that he needs to do to help us win games and it’s not about self in that moment.”
Jackson took over as Baltimore’s starting quarterback in Week 11 of the 2018 campaign after Flacco struggled to begin the year, leading the Ravens to a 4-5 record.
After being replaced, Flacco was hesitant to help Jackson, so Griffin had to step in and be the mentor that the young signal-caller needed to be successful.
In 2019, Flacco left the Ravens as he was traded to the Broncos. The same year, Jackson turned into an MVP quarterback, and the rest, as they say, is history.
