Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson found himself in the midst of a social media firestorm after reposting a conservative firebrand on his X account. Jackson has been outspoken about his Christian faith throughout his career. In 2024, he achieved a perfect game, receiving a passer rating of 158.3, which is the highest a player can achieve. When asked about what helped him make the amazing achievement, Jackson credited God. “Getting with Coach Tee (Martin, the QBs coach) and just putting in extra work because I wasn’t out there — just watching practice and studying film on those guys — that pretty much helped,” he said. “And God. God, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that’s why we’re having so much success. That’s the One that’s leading us throughout these games, week in and week out.”

Jackson shared a post from TPUSA’s Charlie Kirk, which simply said, “It’s all about Jesus.” Kirk is known for his strong stance against abortion, his Christian faith, and support of President Trump but it has also left him open to accusations of white supremacy, xenophobia, and Christian nationalism. It is unclear if Jackson was familiar with Kirk’s political work. “Kirk is outright racist and would easily throw Lamar to the cotton fields. It’s so tone deaf,” said one user. “It’s not the message that is the problem, it’s the messenger,” wrote another user. “If Lamar Jackson was a plumber and not a NFL player, Charlie Kirk would call him a DEI hire he wouldn’t trust to work in his home.” Others, however, supported Jackson. “People are mad at Lamar Jackson for retweeting Charlie Kirk tweet praising Jesus. You cannot please these people,” wrote one user. “Is this the point we’ve come to?  Criticizing someone bc of their religious beliefs?” wrote Sage Steele. “Just stop.  Stay strong @Lj_era8 and keep being an example for so many in Baltimore & beyond.”

The Ravens have not addressed the controversy. The Ravens’s head coach is John Harbaugh, who has also spoken out about his Christian faith in the past. During a press conference last year, he shared the devotional he read with the members of his team in preparation for the Advent season. “December football has a meaning to it. it’s preparation for great events to come. You have to put yourself in position with December football for what’s to come. It’s also the Advent season,” he said. “Advent comes from the Latin ‘adventus,’ which means anticipation and preparation for an amazing event, which is the coming of our Savior and celebrating the Christ – the Good News that changes the world and changes it for all eternity.”