Ravens WR Sammy Watkins clarifies Lamar Jackson comments

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Sammy Watkins has attempted to clarify comments he made about quarterback Lamar Jackson before the team's wild-card playoff game at the Cincinnati Bengals which Baltimore lost 24-17 on Sunday night. 

"If a guy is hurt and can't play, he shouldn't be out there," Watkins said of Jackson on Monday, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN. "I was just very selfish in saying, 'Shoot, I hope he plays, and I hope he hobbles out there.' It was nothing personal. He said something to me the other day. We laughed about it."

Watkins suggested last week that Jackson would've made himself available against Cincinnati had the Most Valuable Player for the 2019 season and the Ravens come to terms on a contract extension before the start of the ongoing campaign. Jackson last played when he suffered a knee injury in Week 13 and is in the final months of his rookie deal. The Ravens could retain his rights for at least the 2023 season via the franchise tag. 

Jackson took to Twitter on Thursday to say he was dealing with a Grade 2 PCL strain "on the borderline of a strain 3." That didn't stop some former players, analysts and fans from believing he could've taken the field at Cincinnati's Paycor Stadium and that he merely made a business decision regarding Sunday's matchup. 

"He's not healthy," Baltimore safety Chuck Clark said about Jackson. "You've seen him barely walking here. You can't force somebody to play."

On Monday morning, Jackson shared a message on his Instagram story that may or may not have referenced the Ravens not giving him a fully guaranteed contract before the 2022 season. Later in the day, teammates such as defensive end Calais Campbell, left tackle Ronnie Stanley and tight end Mark Andrews campaigned for the two sides to get a deal done during the offseason that unofficially kicked off on Monday for Baltimore.