Lamar Jackson's Ravens QB Room: A 'Groundbreaking' NFL First
While the Baltimore Ravens hope to make history this season with what would be the organization's third Super Bowl title, the team has already made its mark in the NFL history books before the season has even started.
As they prepare for Week 1 of the new season against the Houston Texans, many are justifiably taking notice of the quarterback room. The 2023 Ravens are thought to be the first-ever team in the NFL to have an exclusively Black quarterback group, including players and coaches.
The staff and players consist of quarterback coach Tee Martin, assistant coach Kerry Dixon, and players Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley, and Josh Johnson.
The group represents massive progress for a league that many think turns otherwise qualified Black coaches away from the most important position on the staff - the head coach.
“We definitely are standing on the shoulders of people in the past,” said Martin, who became quarterbacks coach this offseason after coaching the Ravens’ wide receivers for the past two years. “I do think it’s a step forward for people like us, but we’ve got to do a good job.”
Unfortunately, what the Ravens have going now is an anomaly within the league, as author Jason Reid stresses. Reid is the author of “Rise of the Black Quarterback: What It Means for America.”
“So what the Ravens have right now is definitely groundbreaking, even in 2023," wrote Reid. "The significance of it is that we are now in the era of the Black quarterback in the NFL.”
The Ravens are poised to be one of the better teams in the league in 2023, with Jackson leading the way under center. With new offensive coordinator Todd Monken behind a potentially high-scoring offense, that success could trickle down to the quarterback coaching staff. Martin could find himself in the conversation for advancement as a coach in 2024. ... one of the many ways that the Ravens can change more NFL history.
