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If your employer just gave you a raise, making you the highest paid person in the world at your job position, would you show up for an event that your employer deemed voluntary?
What if your presence there would only serve to help the company? What if you were getting paid $52 million a year?
If you said yes to any of those questions, then you are probably one of the many people who disagree with Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson skipping the Ravens’ voluntary football school this week.
“Lamar Jackson isn’t in attendance for the Ravens’ voluntary football school. Baltimore, which is installing a new offense, has its first OTA practice is May 22,” tweeted ESPN Ravens insider Jamison Hensley on Wednesday.
“Jackson signed his five-year, $260M deal six days ago, which made him the highest-paid player at $52M per season.”
While numerous fans said they didn’t care that Lamar Jackson skipped this voluntary workout…
“Like 60% of the veterans aren’t there. This is nasty work singling him out,” one fan tweeted.
Yeah this isn’t noteworthy
— Travis H (@Selah_w_t) May 10, 2023
A whole bunch of other NFL fans think that not only is a bad look for Lamar Jackson, considering the timing, it’s also something that a person being paid $52 million a year should probably make time to attend.
“People love to scream ‘but they’re VOLUNTARY.’ I want my players to attend every opportunity they have to get better together, especially the QB (especially the highest paid one),” one fan tweeted.
New offense, new receivers, gigantic contract - Lamar should be there.
— FH Parent (@ParentFH) May 10, 2023
“Probably a non-issue in the long term. But it’s just not a great look for a guy who made a stink about a contract for two years and just got the biggest deal in history,” wrote another fan. “I know he doesn’t have to come. He should.”
"team guy" lamar jackson.
— derekmaxwell (@DerekFromBmore) May 10, 2023
“Voluntary, yes. Ideal? No,” tweeted another fan.
He got paid, now the demise is inevitable……all he cares about is the guaranteed money. Next.
— Tom (@tf11706) May 10, 2023
Some Baltimore Ravens fans are probably still salty about Jackson missing so many games in 2022 with a PCL sprain that was originally expected to sideline him for just one to three games, the fact that he wasn’t even in attendance at the team’s Wild Card game, and that he skipped a chunk of last year’s offseason, only showing up for mandatory workouts.