Lamar Jackson Responds to Bathroom Break Rumors, Says He ‘Didn’t Pull a Paul Pierce’

NFL fans were wondering what was going on with Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson as he was seen running to the locker room in the fourth quarter of the team’s game against the Cleveland Browns on Monday night. After the game, Jackson told reporters he was dealing with cramps, but fans believed it was something else as he was seen jogging with a certain urgency. The reigning NFL MVP assured everyone he didn’t go to the bathroom.

“I didn’t pull a Paul Pierce,” Jackson said referring to the former Boston Celtics star who was carted off the court with an apparent leg injury during the playoffs in 2008 only to later reveal he took a bathroom break. Ravens backup QB Trace McSorley came in to replace Jackson in the fourth quarter. However, McSorley suffered an injury late in the game, which meant that Jackson had to return. It turned out to be a good thing for the Ravens as Jackson came in and threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to give the Ravens the lead over the Browns with two minutes left in the game. After the Browns scored on the ensuing drive, the Ravens drove down the field and kicked a game-winning field goal as time expired.

“I’m like, ‘I need something now to help me get better really quick because this is a crucial game right here,” Jackson said. “As soon as I saw him go down, I started running out of the locker room.” The win was big for the Ravens as it keeps their playoff hopes alive. Currently, the Ravens are 8-5 and wouldn’t make the playoffs if it started today. However, they are tied with the Miami Dolphins for the final playoff spot with three games remaining.

“As I’m seeing [McSorley] go down, I was still stretching,” Jackson said. “I was catching an attitude because it wasn’t going the way we wanted it to. And then I saw him go down, and I was like, ‘We’ve got to start now. We’ve just got to go out there now.’ And I started running out there.” Jackson doesn’t have the same numbers he had last season, but he’s still playing at a high level. In 12 games, Jackson has thrown for 2,218 yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He has also rushed for 793 yards and six scores.