Ravens' Lamar Jackson Shrugs Off Season Opener Against Chiefs

Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson isn't thinking about revenge in the team's season opener.

Jan 28, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill (23) chases Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) during a pass attempt in the AFC Championship football game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

After a terrifiic regular season, the Baltimore Ravens saw it all come crumbling down in a frustrating AFC Championship Game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Baltimore's offense, which had been one of the best in the league all season, went completely dry in the biggest game of the year. The Chiefs defense did its job well, but the Ravens shot themselves in the foot with multiple penalties, turnovers and a complete abandonment of the run game.

It's only fitting that the Ravens open this season against the Chiefs, the very same team that sent them packing in January. While this seems like a prime chance for Baltimore to exact some revenge, star quarterback Lamar Jackson isn't focused on that storyline.

"I really don't care who we play; it really didn't matter," Jackson said, per The Spun. 

"At the end of the day, our goal is to make it to the Super Bowl. We lost to them in the playoffs. Just us beating them in the regular season doesn't really do anything; it just helps us keep stacking up wins to hopefully make it to the playoffs if anything to try to get in that same position again and hopefully be successful. It really doesn't matter who we play [in the] first game; obviously it's the Chiefs, but I really didn't care."

Jackson is obviously correct that the Ravens winning this game won't change anything about what happened in the playoffs. However, these two teams are projected to be the best in the AFC, if not the entire NFL. If they're jousting for playoff position late in the season, the tiebreaker from winning this game would be massive.

So while revenge may not be at the front of Jackson's mind, it's no question that he and the rest of the team will be plenty motivated in September.

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