2019 was Lamar Jackson's year.
It's not just that Jackson was the "Best Raven" or the "Best Pro Athlete in Baltimore" or the "Best NFL Player" regardless of city. He was arguably the best pro athlete in any of the major American pro leagues in 2019, making him our easy choice as Athlete of the Year.
Jackon's on-field brilliance was evident weekly. He almost single-handedly transformed a franchise that had historically been synonymous with defense alone and turned it into an offensive juggernaut. He was an unstoppable dual-threat force who shattered records and ankles with similar ease. Those gaudy statistics weren't remotely empty, either. His excellence made the Ravens the best team in the NFL in the process, defeating a who's who of top Super Bowl contenders throughout the year.
