Rams ‘Racism’? Lamar Jackson Rant Puts Heat on Mike Martz
Mike Martz' recent analysis of quarterback Lamar Jackson does not mark the first time the Super Bowl-winning coach has been especially harsh on the Baltimore Ravens' MVP quarterback.
But this time, Martz has extended beyond being a non-believer in Jackson, with comments that some suggest are delivered with a racially-tinged undertone.
"I don’t know how good (Jackson is at) processing things,'' Martz said on CBS Sports Radio. "and that’s the key, how quick you can process, read and react ... I don’t know if he has that.”
This sort of evaluation of Black quarterbacks - essentially suggesting they lack the intelligence to play the position - was long ago a sort of "dog whistle'' that revealed the ignorance, or even racism, of a scout, a coach or an executive.
Martz, 72, won a Super Bowl with the the 1999 Rams, has been out of the NFL for a decade, popping up as a coach in the minor leagues.
Jackson, 26, won his NFL MVP at age 22. He led the league in passing that year, has a 3-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio and is a two-time Pro Bowler. His Ravens have made the AFC playoffs in four of his five seasons. Many observers think his Ravens this year are premium Super Bowl contenders.
Jackson has faced unwarranted criticism since entering the league as a first-round draft pick, some NFL scouting minds having predicted his success only if he changed positions to become a wide receiver. The racist tropes have unfortunately followed Jackson from the start. But maybe they should be more accurately tied to Martz.
Last season, Martz reviewed the NFL season-opening matchup between 49ers featuring QB Trey Lance (making his third career start) and Bears QB Justin Fields (in his pro debut). Both are first-round picks. Both are Black.
Said Martz of Lance: “I’ve never liked him. I still don’t like him ... I’ve never seen anything about this kid that was encouraging at all ... He looked like a fullback looking around to stumble trying to run the ball ... He’s not a quick-decision guy.''
Said Martz of Fields: “I’m just shocked, shocked at the Bears. ... I dunno if I’ve ever seen such a bad performance from a starting quarterback in his opening performance of the season like that. He was just completely awful. ... (He's a) quarterback that can’t do anything like that at all ...''
Somehow, Martz' remarks barely touched on the fact that that 2022 Week 1 game was played in a downpour and in the mud ... And that Fields and the Bears won 19-10 when Fields - in his first-ever NFL game - threw two second-half touchdowns and led Chicago to scoring 19 unanswered points.
Maybe it's just a coincidence that Martz' reviews of young Black quarterbacks are so often especially scathing, almost personal. We're always hesitant to casually use the word "racism.'' At the same time, we'd advice Martz to do some self-reflection before he once again suggests that yet another Black quarterback can't "make quick decisions'' or "process information.''
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