There is no love lost for divisional opponents, especially for Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson. Jackson has been very vocal about not being friends with his opponents.
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Jackson famously stated, "Don't get me wrong, there's no problem or nothing like that, but we're competing with each other. I'm trying to beat you. I'm not trying to be your friend," in relation to being friends with Josh Allen.
Jackson has now taken his aversion to being friends with opponents to another level, as he seemingly took a major shot at the Cincinnati Bengals with a cryptic social media post.
Jackson used the infamous gif of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James feigning being scared to potentially take a shot at the Bengals' latest contracts. Though a simple gif is not enough to confirm this, Jackson's post comes mere days after the new deals were set in place.
Fans also appear to think that Jackson is taking a shot at his divisional opponents.
The Bengals handed both Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins new deals, as Chase is now the highest paid non-quarterback in the league after landing a four-year, $161 million deal, which equates to $40.25 million per season. Higgins landed a new four-year, $115 million deal, that could balloon to $30 million per season with playing incentives.
Jackson and the Ravens had been fantastic in the AFC North thus far, and that is in large part due to how the MVP has played throughout his career.
The rivalry between the Bengals and Ravens has been deep-seated, and Baltimore currently owns a 4-0 record against the Bengals in the past four regular-season showdowns.
Jackson likely posted the James gif to express that he is not afraid of the Bengals bringing back Chase and Higgins on any kind of deal. The issue with the Ravens is their inability to make the big game.
Baltimore secured the NFC North title in 2024 but lost to the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round of the Playoffs. The Bengals, on the other hand, did not make the playoffs at all.
Both teams have made significant changes to their rosters and will continue to do so when the draft comes around. For now, Jackson is getting the rivalry started early on social media.
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For more on the Ravens, head to Newsweek Sports.
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This story was originally published March 19, 2025 at 4:20 PM.