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Jamison Hensley, ESPN writer
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson doesn’t seem to be a big fan of playing again on Christmas. But let’s just say you’re “crazy in love” with Wednesday’s halftime show.
On Monday, Jackson said he plans to see Beyoncé perform during halftime of the Ravens’ game at the Houston Texans on Christmas.
“I’m going to go out and watch,” Jackson said. “[It will be my] It’s the first time I’ve seen Beyoncé perform, and it’s in our game, so that’s great. I’m going out to look. I’m sorry [Ravens coach John] Harbaugh, I’m sorry. “Sorry guys.”
Jackson said his favorite Beyoncé song is “To The Left,” a reference to the catchy lyrics of “Irreplaceable.” The reigning NFL MVP was asked if seeing Beyoncé perform would depend on whether Baltimore has a big lead over Houston.
“No, I’m not even thinking about the protagonist,” Jackson said. “I was thinking about seeing Beyoncé for the first time.”
Before Jackson spoke to reporters, Harbaugh was asked if the Ravens locker room was soundproofed so players wouldn’t be distracted. Harbaugh mentioned how three years ago, Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson was caught staring at Snoop Dogg at halftime of Super Bowl LVI instead of going to the locker room.
Harbaugh then said, “There will be problems. There will be big problems.”
“I can’t say I’m a big Beyoncé fan, but I think I like her,” Harbaugh added. “Is he doing country? [music] now? Do you think some of those country songs will be in there? You’ll have to tell me about that.”
Harbaugh had forgotten how Beyoncé played at halftime of the Ravens’ last Super Bowl and some blamed her performance for the power outage at Caesars Superdome.
“I remember now,” Harbaugh said with a smile.
The Ravens (10-5) clinched a playoff berth on Sunday with a 34-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers and moved into a first-place tie with the Steelers atop the AFC North. Baltimore has a 52.9% chance of winning the division, according to ESPN Analytics.
When the Ravens play the Texans on Wednesday, it will be the second year in a row that Baltimore has played on Christmas.
“I want to celebrate at home with some time with my family. I don’t want to play on Christmas all the time, not all the time,” Jackson said. “But no, it’s great. Joking aside, it’s great. It’s a gift for everyone. They can watch us play and [there will be] “There are a lot of eyes on us and I think a lot of people will be watching us at the right time.”
