If you still think Lamar Jackson is just a "running back playing quarterback," you probably haven't looked at a box score since 2018. Honestly, it’s getting a little exhausted. For years, the narrative around the Baltimore Ravens' star was that he’d eventually hit a wall—that once teams "figured out" his legs, his arm wouldn't be enough to keep the ship afloat.
Well, it's 2026, and that wall is nowhere to be found.
Instead, we’re looking at a guy who has spent the last few seasons systematically dismantling every "he can’t throw" argument ever made. The conversation has shifted. It's no longer about whether he can pass; it's about the fact that Lamar Jackson pass yards are now coming in ways that make him one of the most efficient, dangerous pocket threats in the NFL.
The 4,000-Yard Threshold and Shattering the Ceiling
For a long time, the "4,000-yard club" was the gold standard for elite NFL passers. Critics pointed to Lamar’s early career totals—usually hovering in the 2,700 to 3,100 range—as proof that he wasn't in the same tier as the Mahommes or Burrows of the world.
That changed in 2024.
That year, Lamar didn't just edge past the milestone; he blew the doors off it. He finished the regular season with a massive 4,172 passing yards. But here’s the kicker: he did it while also rushing for over 900 yards. He became the first player in the history of the league to hit 4,000 passing yards and 800 rushing yards in a single season.
It wasn't just volume, either.
He was incredibly efficient. We're talking about a 119.6 passer rating, which stands as the fourth-highest single-season mark in NFL history. He wasn't just throwing more; he was throwing better than almost anyone else on the planet.
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- 2019 (First MVP): 3,127 yards
- 2023 (Second MVP): 3,678 yards
- 2024 (Historical Peak): 4,172 yards
The progression is pretty obvious. Every time people say he’s reached his ceiling, he adds another 500 yards to the total.
What Most People Get Wrong About Lamar’s Arm
The biggest misconception is that Lamar’s passing yards are just the result of "schemed-up" easy throws or check-downs to tight ends. People love to say, "Oh, it's all play-action, the defense is so scared of him running that they leave guys wide open."
There's a grain of truth there, sure. But the data tells a much more impressive story.
According to Next Gen Stats, since the start of the 2024 season, Lamar has been one of the most aggressive downfield passers in the league. By late 2025, he had thrown 32 touchdown passes on balls traveling over 10 air yards. That was 10 more than Joe Burrow in the same span.
Think about that. The guy everyone says is a "runner" is actually the one most consistently attacking the intermediate and deep parts of the field.
The 2025 Reality Check
Now, 2025 was a bit of a weird year. It was kind of a "grit" season. Lamar dealt with some nagging back and hamstring issues that kept his totals a bit lower—he finished with 2,549 passing yards in 13 games.
- Completion Percentage: 63.6%
- Touchdowns: 21
- Interceptions: 7
Even in a "down" year plagued by injuries, he was still producing at a rate that most starting quarterbacks would kill for. And he did it while leading an offense that remained one of the most feared in the AFC. He's currently sitting at 22,608 career passing yards. To put that in perspective, he’s already surpassed several "traditional" passers who played much longer than he has so far.
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Is He the All-Time Passer Rating King?
This is the stat that usually ends the debate at the sports bar. As of early 2026, Lamar Jackson has frequently traded the #1 spot for the highest career passer rating in NFL history with Aaron Rodgers.
Currently, his career rating sits at 102.2.
It’s a number that feels almost impossible for a dual-threat guy. Usually, you expect the "runner" to have a lower rating because they take more risks or have lower completion percentages. Not Lamar. He’s meticulous. He’s tied the record for the most games with a perfect passer rating (158.3), hitting that mark four times.
You don't get a perfect rating by accident. You get it by being a surgical passer.
The Playoff Narrative: The Final Frontier
If there is one area where the Lamar Jackson pass yards discussion gets heated, it’s the postseason.
Critics love to bring up his 2-4 playoff record (as of the start of the 2025-26 playoffs). They point to his completion percentage dropping to around 59% in the divisional rounds and beyond. It’s the one place where the "limitations" argument still has a tiny bit of oxygen left.
But if you actually watch those games, the story is more complex. In the 2023 AFC Championship game against Kansas City, the Ravens' run game basically vanished, and Lamar was forced to throw 37 times. He had 272 yards, but the offense felt disjointed.
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It highlights a weird double standard. When a pocket passer loses, it's "the team failed him." When Lamar loses, it's "his style doesn't work in January."
The truth? His playoff passing yards are actually higher on a per-game basis than many people realize. He’s thrown for over 1,500 yards in his limited playoff appearances. The efficiency drops, but the talent is clearly there. He just hasn't had that "Joe Montana" moment yet where everything clicks for four straight quarters in the snow.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you're tracking Lamar’s stats for fantasy football, sports betting, or just to win an argument with your uncle, here’s how to look at the numbers:
- Watch the Air Yards: Don't just look at the total yardage. Look at his Average Depth of Target (ADoT). In 2025, it was up around 9.1. When that number is high, the Ravens are winning.
- The "Derrick Henry" Effect: Since the Ravens added King Henry, Lamar’s passing lanes have opened up significantly. In 2024, this led to his career-high yardage. If the Ravens have a healthy lead back, Lamar's passing efficiency sky-rockets.
- Red Zone Completion: Lamar is statistically one of the best red-zone passers in the league. He rarely throws interceptions in the "money" zone (only 4 INTs total in his massive 2024 season).
Lamar Jackson has already redefined the quarterback position. He’s no longer a "dual-threat" in the sense that he’s a runner who can pass. He’s an elite passer who happens to be the fastest guy on the field.
The record books are already being rewritten. Whether he hits 5,000 yards in a season or not almost doesn't matter anymore. He’s proven that the "passing" part of his game isn't a secondary trait—it's the engine that makes the whole machine run.
Next Steps for Deep-Diving Stats:
If you want to see exactly how his passing has evolved, check out the NFL Next Gen Stats database for "Passing Past the Sticks." You’ll see that Lamar consistently ranks in the top five for conversion rate on 3rd-and-long, a stat usually reserved for the most "pro-style" quarterbacks in the league. Additionally, keep an eye on his completion percentage on throws between 15-25 yards; that's where he has shown the most growth since his rookie year.