Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson shared an Instagram story this week with a brief written comment. The two-time NFL MVP added something notable to the post.
That comment carried a tone worth a closer look. What Jackson wrote connects to a much bigger issue facing the country right now.
The screenshot displayed gas prices approaching $6.00 per gallon in certain areas. Jackson referenced the bicycle-riding character from the 2001 film Baby Boy in his response.
Baltimore Ravens Lamar Jackson
Jan 4, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Nick Herbig (51) pressures Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) during the second half at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
“I’m so Jody at they ah,” Jackson wrote on the story. “About to become a biker boy,” he added alongside the image.
The national average reached $4.52 per gallon as of May 7, 2026, according to Finder. The average stood at $4.27 one week before that.
In parts of Chicago, regular gas prices exceeded $6.29 per gallon near the Kennedy Expressway. Illinois drivers paid an average of $4.93 per gallon statewide.
California registered $5.89 per gallon with a 21.4 percent year-over-year increase, per SmartAsset. Many states saw a 33 percent increase in regular gas prices from the prior year.
Diesel fuel prices topped $6.00 per gallon across several states. The impact stretches beyond passenger vehicles into commercial and agricultural operations.
Lamar Jackson holds a $260 million contract and has two MVP awards across eight NFL seasons. His 21,900 career passing yards and 181 touchdowns rank among the league’s elite.Selected 32nd overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, Jackson has earned four Pro Bowl selections and three First-Team All-Pro honors. Despite that resume and income, fuel costs have come to his attention as well.
When a $260 million quarterback posts about gas costs, the problem is undeniable. Rising fuel costs touch every household budget in the country.
Lamar Jacckson had once asked Donald Trump to commute sentence of imprisoned rapper
In January 2021, Lamar Jackson had asked Donald Trump to commute the sentence of imprisoned rapper Kodak Black, a childhood friend serving 46 months on federal weapons charges.
Jackson took to Twitter with a direct appeal to then-President, writing “Hey @realDonaldTrump @potus my friend @KodakBlack1k deserves to be commuted. The system punished him way to hard for a paperwork crime #freekodak”. The rapper was serving a 46-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to federal weapons charges in Florida in 2019, having admitted to falsifying information on background checks for gun purchases in two separate incidents.
Hey @realDonaldTrump @potus my friend @KodakBlack1k deserves to be commuted. The system punished him way to hard for a paperwork crime #freekodak
— Lamar Jackson (@Lj_era8) January 5, 2021
Jackson and Kodak Black, whose real name is Bill Kapri, grew up together in Pompano Beach, Florida, and attended elementary school together. Black was in attendance for the Ravens’ 2018 regular-season finale at M&T Bank Stadium and celebrated with the team in the locker room after it clinched the AFC North title.
Federal prosecutors had rejected Black’s own request for early release, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce O. Brown writing that the rapper had not presented extraordinary and compelling reasons supporting his request. Jackson wasn’t alone in his advocacy efforts. The clemency was ultimately supported by numerous religious leaders, celebrities including Gucci Mane, Lil Pump, and Lil Yachty, and community leaders.
Two weeks after Jackson’s public plea, Trump granted clemency to Kodak Black on his last day in office as president. The official White House statement specifically listed Lamar Jackson among Black’s supporters and noted that the rapper had committed to supporting charitable efforts including providing educational resources to students and families of fallen law enforcement officers.