While reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson may be “Irreplaceable” to his team, he is willing to risk getting in a little trouble this Christmas Day. The Baltimore Ravens quarterback revealed he plans to skip the locker room at halftime to catch a glimpse of superstar Beyoncé on the stage.
The Ravens (10-5) will face Queen Bey’s hometown Houston Texans (9-6) this Wednesday, and Jackson told reporters on Monday he does not want to miss the 32-time Grammy-winning singer’s performance.
“I’m going to go out there and watch,” Jackson said via ESPN. “[It will be my] first time seeing Beyoncé perform, and it’s at our game — that’s dope. I’m going to go out and watch. Sorry [Ravens head coach John] Harbaugh, sorry. Sorry fellas.”
While Jackson may be saying, “Sorry, I ain’t sorry” to his coach and teammates, Harbaugh warned on Monday that “there will be big trouble,” when asked about players ditching the locker room to watch the show.
Ahead of the two-time NFL MVP’s comments, Harbaugh told reporters the story of Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson, who was caught watching rapper Snoop Dogg three years ago during Super Bowl LVI, before giving the stern warning.
“I can’t say I’m a huge Beyoncé fan, but I think I like her,” Harbaugh added. “Is she doing country [music] now? You think some of those country songs will be in there? You’ll have to report to me on that.”
Harbaugh may just get a firsthand report on the show from his veteran quarterback, who plans to catch a glimpse of the performance regardless of the score at half.
“No, I’m not even thinking about the lead,” Jackson said. “I was just thinking about just seeing Beyoncé for the first time.”
The Ravens have already clinched their spot in the playoffs after a 34-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last weekend and still have a chance to win the AFC North.
Jackson is once again considered to be one of the top candidates for MVP this season, as the 27-year-old has 3,787 passing yards, 765 rushing yards for 37 passing touchdowns and three rushing through Week 16.
The three-time Pro Bowler and the Ravens are playing in their second consecutive Christmas Day game this year, and Jackson revealed it is not something he’s “Crazy in Love” with.
“I do 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. All jokes aside, it’s great. It’s a present for everyone. They get to see us play, and [there will be] a lot of eyes on us, and I believe a lot of people are going to be watching us at the right time.”
Consequences aside, Jackson seems determined to gift himself with a Beyoncé concert this Christmas, and he’s hoping, a win against the C.J. Stroud-led Texans. All the holiday action kicks off in Houston at 4:30 p.m. ET on Netflix.
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