Reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson didn't like how he looked last year, so he shed weight.
"I was fat, to me. I felt like I was fat." Jackson told CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones on Monday after practice. "I just saw a video from two years ago [against] the Browns, and I looked out of shape. But I was in shape."
The Baltimore Ravens quarterback is reportedly down to 200 pounds -- 15 less than in 2023 and 30 below his 2022 weight.
"My eyes may be deceiving me, but I believe I looked a little slower to me," Jackson said. "But not now."
The most prolific running quarterback in NFL history -- poised to break the record in 2024 or 2025 for most ground yards by a QB -- led the league with 5.5 yards per carry last season, but that was a five-year low for Jackson.
Jackson was asked if the speed element caused him to shed weight.
"Just so I could move around without getting fatigued, that's all," he said. "I don't know if I was getting fatigued last year, probably if I get a first down. But I don't like getting caught if I do decide to run. So, yeah, it's part of it."
The star quarterback was reminded that sometimes we simply slow down with age. Jackson smirked and rebuffed the notion that he was getting old.
"No, not at all," Jackson said. "I'm only 27. I'm still young. It definitely don't have anything to do with age."
