Lamar Jackson Vows to Run Again After Injury-Limited 2025 Season
Jackson says he'll do whatever it takes to win — and that means using his legs. After managing just 349 rush yards in 13 games last year, his mobility is back on the table.
A healthy, mobile Jackson has a QB1-overall ceiling at a discount.
- 349 rush yds, 2 rush TD in 13 games in 2025
- 233 PPR points last season (2025)
- Currently our #18 QB, #39 overall
- Down 3.7 fantasy pts/g over his last 5 (2025)
- 0 INT across 13 games in 2025
Lamar Jackson told reporters Wednesday that he plans to lean on his legs again this season, framing it simply: whatever it takes to win. That's a meaningful shift from a 2025 campaign that saw him play just 13 games and rack up only 349 rushing yards and two scores on the ground — a shadow of the dual-threat production that earned him two MVPs.
Jackson didn't dodge the reason, either. He said he wasn't healthy last year and couldn't do the things he wanted to, adding that running hurt would only have cost his team yards and put them in bad spots. He repeated the "whatever it takes to win" line on a followup, which tells you where his head is heading into Week 1.
Context matters here. Even limited, Jackson still posted 2,549 passing yards, 21 touchdowns and — remarkably — zero interceptions across those 13 games. That's an absurd efficiency number for a passer who's supposedly diminished. The floor was fine; it's the ceiling that went missing when the rushing volume dried up.
Why the Legs Change Everything for Fantasy
Jackson finished 2025 with 233 PPR points and sits as our #18 quarterback (#39 overall) heading into the new year. That ranking bakes in the injury-shortened, ground-game-lite version of him. If the rushing floor returns to career norms, that number is light — Jackson's fantasy value has always been propped up by the 40-plus yards and goal-line carries that turn a good QB day into a league-winning one.
The warning sign is his recent form: over his last five games in 2025, Jackson averaged 3.7 fantasy points below his season mark. Whether that's rust, health, or scheme, it's worth acknowledging before you overpay. A new system adds another variable, and Week 1 will be the first real read on how much the offense wants him carrying the load.
For fantasy managers: this is a buy-low window. If a leaguemate is scared off by the #18 QB tag and the sluggish finish, pounce. A genuinely healthy Jackson who's committed to running again has top-three-QB upside, and you're getting him at a mid-tier price. Draft him as a QB1 with confidence and treat his rushing intent as the tiebreaker in your favor.
