As the Patriots prepared to host the Ravens last September, Bill Belichick made an uncharacteristic quip about Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Asked whether Jackson had answered the questions about his pocket-passing ability that he faced earlier in his career, Belichick replied: "Without a doubt."
"He's an MVP type of candidate," New England's head coach continued. "I think he's more than answered (those questions). But we'll see what his contract is. That will answer them."
Belichick rarely comments on contract-related matters. He never does so with players not currently employed by the Patriots. His unprompted remarks about Jackson's contract stalemate with the Ravens raised eyebrows at the time. They quickly were overshadowed, though, by the high ankle sprain Mac Jones suffered days later, the fallout from which dominated the Patriots news cycle for weeks.
But with the Patriots now directly connected to the ongoing Jackson saga, Belichick's past comments about the 2019 NFL MVP are worth revisiting.
Jackson reportedly wants a fully guaranteed contract akin to the five-year, $230 million deal Deshaun Watson got from the Cleveland Browns last year. The Ravens have been unwilling to offer that, and thus far, no other team has, either. As of Tuesday afternoon, no club had signed Jackson to an offer sheet in the three weeks since he received the non-exclusive franchise tag from Baltimore.
The Patriots' history suggests they wouldn't hand out that type of guaranteed money, either, but team owner Robert Kraft revealed Monday that he heard, via rapper Meek Mill, that Jackson wants to play for New England.
Is that feeling mutual? Is Belichick high enough on Jackson that he'd be willing to meet or approach the QB's lofty contract demands while also forking over the necessary compensation to acquire him from the Ravens? Would he overlook Jackson's very real durability concerns? That's all unclear. But the coach has spoken highly of the 26-year-old in the past.
"He's very fast, and he's definitely a hard guy to handle," Belichick said in 2019, as the Patriots prepared to face Jackson for the first time. "That's definitely a problem. He's fast, and that's really a big problem. A lot of times, he just outruns people.
"I mean, he's got good moves, too. I'm not saying that. But a lot of times, he just outruns people with his speed. Catching him is an issue, especially when he keeps the ball. A lot of times he's running against a defensive end, and the ends just aren't fast enough. They have him, but they don't have him. He's a problem. He's definitely a problem."
Belichick went on to praise Jackson's development as a passer ahead of subsequent meetings.
"He does a good job," Belichick said in 2020. "He's got a good touch on the deep ball, sees the field well and makes good decisions."
Jackson is 2-1 against the Patriots in his career, with comfortable victories in 2019 and 2022 and an upset loss in 2020 that was played in a monsoon. In those three games, Jackson completed 68.8% of his passes, threw for seven touchdowns with two interceptions, posted a 107.2 passer rating and rushed for 233 yards and three scores. Baltimore scored 37 points in each of the two wins and 17 in the loss.
The Patriots currently have Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe on their quarterback depth chart. Jones projects as the starter and should benefit from the arrival of new coordinator Bill O'Brien, but Belichick said this week that all starting jobs will be up for grabs in training camp, QB included.
