For one, Charles Omenihu knows how it feels to have Lamar Jackson's jersey number on the ground in front of him. He strip-sacked Jackson in the second quarter of the 2023 AFC Championship.
Then, in the following play, he got his ACL torn. This came after stripping the ball from Jackson's possession. The guy knows what he's talking about because he paid the price for it in rehab, nearly nine months' worth of it.
Now a Washington Commander after signing a one-year contract this offseason, Omenihu talked in the latest episode of the Speakeasy podcast. This was reported on X by NFL insider Dov Kleiman. Here's what Omenihu had to say about how to stop Jackson:
He has worked this out the hard way and sounds sure about it
"He does well with that," he said, "Lamar, honestly, you bring a 5-man rush on him and collapse that pocket, he'll make a play that isn't the best for the Ravens."
Here is where things get interesting. Jackson has become a legitimate pocket passer in recent years, which means he no longer has to scramble around in order to make plays.
Oh Boy: Chiefs DE Charles Omenihu ROASTS Ravens QB Lamar Jackson saying that the league figured him out already.
"Lamar, honestly, you bring a 5-man rush on him and collapse that pocket, he'll make a play that isn't the best for the Ravens."
π³π³π³pic.twitter.com/VbDi4XIR7E
β Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) April 10, 2026
This statement from Omenihu appears to have nothing to do with the athleticism of the man. Instead, the question here is whether he has enough time to make the right decision when five men come rushing at him at once.
The 2023 season proved that the right decisions might not be made. His PFF overall grade was 74.0 last season, placing him 20th among 43 qualified quarterbacks. At the same time, his PFF passing grade was 24th at the position. For two-time MVP Jackson, that may be considered far below expectations.
Injuries and the Ravens' back-to-back playoff misses, coupled with their failure to even make the playoffs, contributed to their firing head coach John Harbaugh. These numbers don't prove anything on their own. Still, it's important to keep in mind.
This does not mean I'm convinced Lamar is solved completely and will have no answers left in him this year. I've seen him underestimate several times throughout his career. However, the guy strip-sacked Lamar, then had to get his knee reconstructed. It would be a mistake to discount his insights based on that alone.
We'll see if he has a point in September.