The Baltimore Ravens have been in negotiations with their franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson for two years. However, these were unsuccessful, so Jackson announced his departure from the Ravens.
How does it go from here? Who might pay Jackson? And why wouldn’t the Ravens do it? ran answers the open questions in the Lamar Jackson case.
How long have the Ravens been in negotiations with Jackson?
As a 2018 first-round pick, the Baltimore Ravens have been allowed to negotiate with Lamar Jackson since March 2021. With the playmaker being named MVP in 2019, there’s no question they’ve been doing so since that timeframe.
Why can’t Jackson and the Ravens come to an agreement?
According to media reports, Jackson’s side is demanding a fully guaranteed contract with a total volume of around $200 million. Apparently they want to get a similar or even better deal than Deshaun Watson, who earned $230 million over five years with the Cleveland Browns.
The Ravens don’t want to pay him for that. Not only because of the way he plays, which is very taxing on his body, but because of his injury history. In the last two years he missed a total of nine games of the season (including playoffs). The franchise is apparently afraid that Jackson’s body is already wearing out.
Why did Jackson request a trade?
“The Ravens have no interest in contractually maintaining my value, so I requested a trade,” Lamar Jackson tweeted recently, officially announcing for the first time that he wanted to leave the Baltimore franchise.
However, this tweet raises questions. “Jackson doesn’t have to request a trade,” confirmed NFL insider Ian Rapoport. “With the non-exclusive franchise tag, he can freely negotiate with any team.” Rather, this tweet was apparently purely symbolic. Jackson or his social media manager apparently deliberately dropped the post exactly when Ravens head coach John Harbaugh spoke at the meeting of coaches and owners in Phoenix.
Should the Ravens let Lamar Jackson go?
No, the franchise tag gives the Ravens the rights to Jackson in the 2023 season. Although he can negotiate with other teams, Baltimore must be informed if a contract is offered. Then they have a so-called matching right, i.e. they can draw the same salary in order to prevent a departure.
If they choose not to, the receiving team owes the Ravens the first-round pick of the next two drafts. So 2023 and 2024 or possibly 2025 should happen following this year’s draft.
Which teams are interested in Lamar Jackson?
After the disagreements between Jackson and the Ravens became known, several teams proactively announced that they were not interested in signing. Including the Miami Dolphins and the Atlanta Falcons.
The Indianapolis Colts seem the most likely. Their quarterback position is vacant and since 2017 there has been no search for a playmaker who will pull the strings of the offense for more than one season.
What happens if Jackson doesn’t find a buyer?
If no team can be found that is willing to pay the amount Lamar Jackson is asking for, then he might sign the franchise tag with the Ravens and would still be fully guaranteed $32.4 million for 2023. In 2024 he would be a free agent.
Jackson might also refuse to sign his tag, but then he can’t play for anyone in 2023 and the Ravens wouldn’t owe him any money. In theory, he would have until week ten to sign the franchise tag.
In the worst case, the Ravens might even tag him a second time, and the story would start all over once more in twelve months. However, a player can only be tagged a maximum of two times.
However, the likelihood of Jackson missing two years is more than slim. Just as slim as the likelihood that the Ravens will just let him go without compensation.
