Lamar Jackson Claps Back At Chris Simms For Saying He Should Be At OTAs

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was notably absent when voluntary OTAs began on Tuesday in Baltimore.

His absence was met with criticism from NBC Sports' Chris Simms, who said he didn't understand it. Simms compared Jackson to Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, after the 2019 MVP previously said he wanted to be the Brady of his era and win multiple Super Bowls.

“Brady wouldn’t be missing OTAs in year four of his career,” Simms said. “Brady didn’t miss an OTA until he had played in four Super Bowl... From the football standpoint, I just don’t get it.”

Simms' comment didn't make it past Jackson, who took exception with what Simms had to say in a Twitter post Friday.

“Lamar wants to be Lamar Chris,” he wrote. “This part of OTAs is Voluntary my Guy I will be there, just not on your watch it’s probably other QBs not attending Voluntary OTAs either but since it’s Lamar it’s a huge deal. Find something else to talk about.”

Jackson, 25, is set to enter his fifth season with the Ravens and remains without a long-term contract. It continues to be a hot topic, with other young quarterbacks such as the Bills' Josh Allen, who was drafted in 2018 alongside Jackson, already having a long-term commitment from their teams.

In 49 career starts, Jackson has amassed a 37-12 record, throwing for 9,967 yards and 84 touchdowns, along with 3,673 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground. Baltimore has made the playoffs in three of Jackson's four seasons, where he is 1-3 in those games.

'We've been down this road many times through the years," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said after Wednesday's practice. "I'll just let Lamar speak for himself on that. It's for him to talk about. You can ask him."