Ravens' Lamar Jackson: 'I Play Ball to Win. I Don't Worry About Getting Injured'

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson's running ability has allowed him to be a versatile playmaker, but it also puts him at risk of injury.

He won't let the fear of getting hurt deter him from taking off and running with the football, though, as he told NBC's Mike Tirico (around the 16:45 mark):

"I'm not [taking too many hits]. Gotta watch the game up close. I'm not really taking no hits. I got it figured out. ... You can get hurt in practice on the dropback. Knock on wood. ... So you can get hurt doing anything. It don't matter if you're running. You can be scratching [and] hurt yourself. I play ball to win. I don't worry about getting injured."

Jackson's legs helped put him on the map, as he ran for 1,571 yards and 21 touchdowns during his sophomore season at Louisville en route to the 2016 Heisman Trophy. His rushing ability also helped him become a 2018 first-round pick.

As a rookie, he had 695 rushing yards, which put him just 23 yards off the team lead. He helped take a Ravens squad that was 4-5 with Joe Flacco as the starter to a 6-1 finish and an AFC North title.

This year, Jackson has 5-2 Baltimore in first place entering Week 9. He also leads the team with 576 rushing yards.

Jackson told reporters earlier this season, "I hate running," while saying he'd rather throw the ball. Through his first 14 career starts, however, he has averaged 14.4 carries per game. Some view that as unsustainable if the 6'2", 212-pound quarterback is to stay healthy.

The 22-year-old isn't worried about what his critics say, though: "I can't say nothing. That's your own opinion. I'm going to play ball. And I'm going to do what got me here to help me succeed [and] help my team keep winning. That's all I can do. I can't stop you guys from saying nothing."

Despite carrying the ball with great frequency, Jackson has done a remarkable job of staying healthy. He started all 26 games over his final two seasons at Louisville, and he has not missed a game since he took over as the starter in Baltimore in Week 10 last season.