San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman is good at finding added motivation heading into a game. But when asked if the hype surrounding quarterback Lamar Jackson could be used by the 49ers defense to spark something extra against the Baltimore Ravens, Sherman took his answer in a direction that maybe reporters weren't expecting, and it was a pleasant surprise.
"We don't care about that. It is what it is," Sherman said via Nick Wagoner of ESPN. "The kid deserves it. He's playing good football. It's good for black quarterbacks. I think it's been a long time, there's been a rhetoric around this league that black quarterbacks have to run, or black quarterbacks can't do this, or this league is always a drop-back quarterback league.
"When it was zone read, and it was Cam (Newton), it was like 'Oh, this is a one-hit wonder, this is one year,' and this kid is being dynamic, he's taking over the league. And I think the highest passer ratings right now are all black quarterbacks, so it's a real cool time for the league."
The top 5 quarterbacks in total QBR right now are (in order): Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Dak Prescott, Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson.
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) November 27, 2019
Jackson is playing at an extremely high level and is viewed as a leading candidate to be named the league's MVP. He is on pace for over 3,500 yards passing and over 1,200 rushing yards, and opposing defenses are having difficulty finding ways to slow him down.
On Sunday, it will be the 49ers defense's turn to try to stop the dynamic Jackson. When that time comes, Sherman will be ready. For now, he is proud of what the second-year quarterback has accomplished.
"So, hearing about him, I mean it doesn't matter," Sherman continued. "You're happy the kid is getting his just due because he's playing at a high level and at the end of the day, we'll play the game, and we'll play hard, and we'll do what we have to do to help our team win the game."