Bengals Could Restructure QB Joe Burrow’s Contract
At this point in the calendar, NFL teams have conducted the majority of their offseason business, so creating cap space is not as pressing of a need as it was in early March. Still, a club has to leave itself some flexibility to make additions when necessary, and such flexibility is often achieved through a restructure or two.
The Bengals are presently near the bottom of the league in cap room (just over $7MM), and they could go the restructure route to create a little cushion. Quarterback Joe Burrow’s ~$48MM cap charge stands out as the most obvious target, and director of player personnel Duke Tobin suggested he may seek to rework his franchise passer’s contract.
“Those are things that we’re working through after the draft,” Tobin said at the end of last month (via Pat Brennan of the Cincinnati Enquirer). “We’ve layered in challenges, but we’re up to them, and we do it because we have the opportunity to add the right people and the right player.”
The challenges Tobin referenced include the limited cap space that accompanies high-dollar expenditures. In order to address the defensive shortcomings that have held the Bengals back over the past several seasons, Tobin authorized eight-figure deals for EDGE Boye Mafe, safety Bryan Cook, and defensive lineman Jonathan Allen in March, and he also took on defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence’s hefty contract via a pre-draft trade with the Giants (Tobin extended Lawrence’s pact shortly thereafter).
Tobin says his team is “damn close” to the top of the NFL in terms of roster spending, and Burrow’s $25.25MM base salary for 2026 is a big part of that. As Brennan observes, Burrow said last year that he was amenable to reworking the five-year, $275MM deal he inked in 2023 in order to make room for wideouts Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, and it stands to reason he would be similarly willing this year.
After all, the types of restructure that would be in play here have no worse than a neutral impact on the player, so they tend to be drama-free transactions. Burrow’s case is perhaps a bit different in light of some comments he made in December, comments that briefly led to retirement and trade speculation. While such rumors were promptly quashed, subsequent reports suggested Burrow was nonetheless trying to put some pressure on the Bengals by being candid about his dissatisfaction.
If that was the case, the historically-conservative franchise’s active offseason indicates Burrow achieved his goal (just as he did when Cincinnati re-signed Higgins while simultaneously greenlighting a record-setting deal for Chase). A restructure would make it more difficult for the Bengals to trade Burrow in the near future, and though a trade seems like little more than a pipe dream for interested teams – who were expected to chase that dream just the same – Burrow’s acquiescence to a reworked deal would seem to further solidify his status in Cincinnati.
Steelers, Aaron Rodgers Agree To Deal
Speculation surrounding the second year of the Steelers-Aaron Rodgers partnership can be put to rest. A deal is indeed in place between team and player.
Rodgers has agreed to another one-year Pittsburgh contract, as first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Rodgers has long been expected to suit up for the 2026 season. He will do so and reunite with head coach Mike McCarthy in the process while delaying retirement once more.
This pact has a base value between $22MM and $23MM, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. It can max out at $25MM via incentives. Pelissero notes $22MM is guaranteed. Last year, Rodgers collected $10MM guaranteed and over $14MM in total, so this new deal certainly marks a considerable raise.
McCarthy – who took over following Mike Tomlin‘s resignation – remained in constant communication with Rodgers in recent months. That helped fuel the belief a reunion between the two would be forthcoming, although no firm commitments were known to be made by the four-time MVP. In the end, the anticipated outcome has emerged. Pelissero adds, to no surprise, Rodgers is set to take part in the start of organized team activities on Monday.
OTAs represented the latest artificial deadline for an agreement in this case. The Steelers hoped to avoid a lengthy waiting period on the Rodgers front after one took place in 2025. As the draft came and went, uncertainty continued to loom with respect to Pittsburgh’s quarterback outlook. Drew Allar was added in the third round of the event, but he will spend the coming campaign as a developmental passer. Veteran Mason Rudolph and 2025 sixth-rounder Will Howard are also in the fold.
In the event a Rodgers agreement fell through, Rudolph and Howard were set to engage in a training camp competition with Pittsburgh not seeking an outside addition. The latest update on that front confirmed, however, that both passers were expected to occupy depth roles in 2026. Not long after receiving the rarely-used UFA tender, Rodgers is indeed in the mix. The future Hall of Famer was seen in Pittsburgh today with some members of the Steelers, and he will spend the coming months preparing for his 22nd NFL season.
A visit from earlier this month suggested an agreement was imminent, although it was only Rogers’ agent who spoke with the Steelers at that time. Finances were not seen as an issue regarding a second arrangement between the parties, something which has proven to be true. An otherwise low-cost Pittsburgh quarterback room will no doubt continue to face questions regarding the future as the 2026 season plays out, but there will be stability atop the depth chart.
Rodgers made 16 appearances during the year in 2025 and also played in Pittsburgh’s wild-card loss. His statistical output over that span fell short of his peak years but offered Pittsburgh with a high floor in QB play, especially relative to the team’s other post-Ben Roethlisberger passers. Expectations will need to be tempered as Rodgers approaches his age-42 campaign, but the Steelers have made several notable offseason additions on offense. Improved play with those new faces, and a revamped staff led by McCarthy, could see the Steelers end their drought (2016-present) for playoff victories.
A veteran-laden core remains in place on defense in particular for Pittsburgh. Rodgers will be expected to help the win-now group justify the commitment from owner Art Rooney II, general manager Omar Khan and Co. to contending in 2026 instead of resetting under center this spring. Questions will loom about the Steelers’ plans over medium- and long-term future at the quarterback position, but for at least one more season the status quo will be in place.
Raiders CB Taron Johnson Absent From Workouts, Seeking Contract Adjustment
Slot cornerback Taron Johnson, one of the Raiders’ many notable offseason additions, has not been present for voluntary workouts. Johnson’s absence is related to his contract, Vincent Bonsignore of the California Post reports.
Then in the midst of an eight-season tenure in Buffalo, Johnson signed a three-year, $31MM extension in March 2024. The deal temporarily made Johnson the highest-paid slot corner in the NFL. While Johnson still has two years and over $17MM in base salaries left on the pact, there is just $1.175MM in guaranteed money remaining. The soon-to-be 30-year-old is seeking “more security” as a result, per Bonsignore.
The Bills were reportedly going to release Johnson before the Raiders agreed to acquire him in a late-round pick swap on March 8. With rookie coordinator Jim Leonhard installing a new scheme, the Bills no longer saw Johnson as a fit in their defense. The 2018 fourth-rounder evolved into one the game’s premier slot corners earlier in his career, but injuries helped lead to a decline in performance in his final two years in Buffalo.
Johnson has missed nine games since 2024, including four last season. Over 13 games in 2025, the one-time second-team All-Pro registered 57 tackles and four passes defensed. He went without an interception and finished as Pro Football Focus’ 75th-ranked corner among 112 qualifiers.
While Johnson was no longer in Buffalo’s plans, Las Vegas is hoping he and a slew of other offseason pickups upgrade its defense next season. Kwity Paye, Quay Walker, Nakobe Dean, Treydan Stukes, Keyron Crawford and Jermod McCoy are among Johnson’s fellow newcomers who could be in for big roles. Drafting Stukes, a second-round pick from Arizona, gave the Raiders another slot-capable option to join Johnson. That’s assuming Johnson shows up at some point. He has only missed voluntary work so far, but the Raiders’ mandatory minicamp starts June 6. If Johnson is still away from his new team then, he will be subject to fines.
NFL’s TE Market Expected To Rise
A select number of positions have seen their respective markets surge over recent years in the NFL. The tight end spot is nowhere near as lucrative as certain others, but a spike could soon be coming.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler writes a number of notable tight end deals can be expected in the near future. This offseason has seen indications that could be the case, and a few extension cases will be worth watching closely. Fowler unsurprisingly names the Lions’ Sam LaPorta and the Packers’ Tucker Kraft as candidates for a lucrative second contract as early as this year.
Both players are pending 2027 free agents. LaPorta quickly emerged as a focal point in Detroit’s passing game, earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors as a rookie. The former second-rounder saw a reduction in production the following season and was limited to just nine games in 2025, though. Still, any LaPorta extension would bring about a considerable raise relative to the $2.04MM in cash he is due for the coming campaign.
Detroit’s financial outlook is of course complex when it comes to members of the 2022 draft class. LaPorta, but also first-rounders Jahmyr Gibbs and Jack Campbell as well as second-rounder Brian Branch, is in line for a new pact. Keeping all four members of that group while affording the big-money deals already on the books will be challenging for the Lions. Authorizing an extension would allow the team to keep one of the league’s top young tight ends in the fold but it would also likely lessen the chances of retaining Campbell and Branch in particular.
Kraft, like LaPorta, is 25. The South Dakota State product saw his offensive role increase across his first two years in Green Bay. Kraft then enjoyed a stellar start to the 2025 campaign, averaging over 61 yards per game and scoring six touchdowns in eight contests. An ACL tear ended his season, however. Kraft is on course to collect $1.51MM in 2025, but a long-term deal would be worth far more.
The Packers have had a young – and cost-effective – pass-catching group for the last few years in particular. That still includes a number of receivers on rookie deals (although investments have been made in Jayden Reed and Christian Watson) as well as tight end Luke Musgrave on his initial NFL pact. Green Bay could pursue an extension in Kraft’s case before he returns to action knowing a team-friendly figure could be easier to arrive at.
The tight end market currently consists of 13 multiyear contracts averaging between $10MM and $19.1MM annually. Kyle Pitts‘ franchise tag, meanwhile, checks in at just over $15MM. Last offseason, Trey McBride and the Cardinals agreed to a four-year, $76MM deal. Continued spikes in the salary cap should help the likes of LaPorta and Kraft secure similar (if not larger) deals, while Brock Bowers will position himself for a big-money extension as early as 2027 if his Raiders production continues next season.
As Fowler notes, an increased emphasis on using multiple tight ends has emerged around the league. Free agency saw Charlie Kolar, for instance, land $8.1MM in average annual value and $17MM guaranteed after he totaled just 30 catches in four Ravens seasons. Last month’s draft demonstrated how blocking tight ends were seen as highly valuable during the middle rounds. Provided that trend continues, depth contributors at the TE spot will continue to see raises while the top of the market reaches new heights.
Chiefs Could Make WR Addition?
As spring practices take place around the league, teams will evaluate their rosters before pursuing free agent moves. The Chiefs could find themselves aiming for veteran reinforcements with respect to at least one position, though.
During an appearance on SportsCenter (h/t Bleacher Report), ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler named the Chiefs as candidate to bring in a receiver via free agency. Plenty of experienced wideouts are still on the market deep into the offseason, something which will no doubt remain the case through to training camp. The receiver position has been a talking point throughout the spring for Kansas City.
Efficiency in the passing game was a 2025 issue before and after Patrick Mahomes‘ ACL tear, while Marquise Brown departed in free agency. In spite of that, no veteran additions were made by general manager Brett Veach during the early stages of the offseason. Kansas City then waited until the fifth round of the draft to select a wideout (Cyrus Allen). He will look to carve out a role this summer alongside the likes of Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy and Tyquan Thornton.
Stefon Diggs, DeAndre Hopkins, Keenan Allen and Tyreek Hill are unsigned at this time. Hill spent his first six seasons in Kansas City, and Chiefs head coach Andy Reid did not rule out a reunion earlier this spring. Nevertheless, a tepid market currently exists for Hill, whose Dolphins tenure ended with an expected release. The 32-year-old is recovering from a major knee injury which ended his 2025 campaign. Hopkins was briefly with the Chiefs after arriving via trade in 2024, and he too would be a familiar option to consider.
Kansas City currently has less cap space than every NFL team but the Dolphins. With roughly $6MM in available funds, a big-ticket addition will not be feasible at the WR position or any other. Of course, a signing for any veteran still on the market at this point will come on a one-year deal which is low on guaranteed money. The Chiefs’ OTAs will take place in late May with minicamp soon to follow. Depending on how those practices unfold, the possibility of additional pass catching help being sought out will be something to monitor.
Packers Sign Round 2 CB Brandon Cisse, Wrap Draft Class Deals
MAY 16: Cisse secured full guarantees in his first three years, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 notes. That includes a $3.31MM signing bonus. An additional $821K is locked in for the final season of the pact, meaning the agreement falls in line with expectations given other second-round deals in 2026.
MAY 14: The Packers were among the teams that did not make a first-round pick in this year’s draft. In Round 2, they made South Carolina cornerback Brandon Cisse their top investment this year.
Green Bay has now signed Cisse to his four-year rookie contract, per a team announcement. This wraps the Packers’ rookie business for 2026, with the team signing the rest of its picks and UDFA class this month.
Cisse arrived as the No. 52 overall pick in this year’s class. His deal should be expected to come in nearly fully guaranteed. The Falcons set a draft precedent today by fully guaranteeing No. 48 overall pick Avieon Terrell‘s rookie contract, moving the bar for fully guaranteed second-round deals by eight draft slots from 2025. As recently as 2024, no second-rounder had secured four guaranteed years. It would surprise if Cisse’s contract matches Terrell’s, but the new Wisconsin resident will likely see at least three fully guaranteed years with some 2029 money partially guaranteed.
The Colts gave linebacker C.J. Allen, chosen 53rd overall, three fully guaranteed years. He also received a $639K guarantee on his $2.13MM 2029 base salary. This package comes out to 83.7% of Allen’s rookie contract being guaranteed. Cisse will be expected to do a bit better due to his draft slot. By 2027, players chosen beyond 50th overall figure to see fully guaranteed deals. And Allen’s negotiating victory will help players chosen after Terrell in this year’s draft.
Playing primarily on the boundary with the Gamecocks, Cisse allowed catches on only 34.6% of his targets in 2025. He transferred from NC State to South Carolina in 2025. While only finishing his career with two interceptions (in three seasons), Cisse drew extensive pre-draft interest. He visited the Cowboys and Seahawks before being drafted by the Packers, who released Nate Hobbs one season into a four-year, $48MM deal. Hobbs’ quick exit came a year after the team cut Jaire Alexander and let Eric Stokes leave in free agency.
Cisse profiles as a player who will become a Green Bay starter, possibly as early as 2026, though the team does return Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine. The Packers also signed Benjamin St-Juste to a two-year, $10MM accord. Counting slot defender Javon Bullard, Cisse is the sixth first- or second-round CB the Packers have drafted over the past decade.
Via PFR’s team by team tracker, here is how the 2026 Packers draft class breaks down:
- Round 2, No. 52: Brandon Cisse (CB, South Carolina) (signed)
- Round 3, No. 77 (from Buccaneers): Chris McClellan (DT, Missouri) (signed)
- Round 4, No. 120: Dani Dennis-Sutton (EDGE, Penn State) (signed)
- Round 5, No. 153 (from Falcons via Eagles): Jager Burton (C, Kentucky) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 201: Domani Jackson (CB, Alabama) (signed)
- Round 6, No. 216 (from Steelers)*: Trey Smack (K, Florida) (signed)
Giants Valued At $10.8 Billion For Divestment
Back in March, revelations that Giants co-owner Steve Tisch had been heavily mentioned in the files connected to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein led the team’s family ownership to make a request to the NFL’s finance committee to transfer their ownership stakes into separate trusts to benefit each co-owners’ respective children. In preparation for this potential divestment of equity, the franchise was valued at $10.8 billion, according to Mike Ozanian of CNBC.
The reported amount underlines the recent breaching of NFL franchise values into 11 figures. After a $4.65 billion sale of the Broncos in 2022 and a $6.05 billion sale of the Commanders in 2023, prices have skyrocketed for NFL ownership is just a few years. Dolphins owner Stephen Ross reportedly rejected a $10 billion offer to sell the Dolphins in 2024, but he did get a valuation of $12.5 billion in the process of selling a 10-percent total stake in the franchise later that year.
A consistent increase following the Denver and Washington deals would put a proper valuation in 2026 at about $10.25 billion, landing New York’s value just above that range. According to Darryl Slater of NJ.com, the three Tisch siblings started with a 45-percent stake in the team, but after previously transferring portions of their ownership stake to their children in 2023 and 2024, their remaining untransferred equity combines to a 23.1-percent ownership stake with an approximate value of $2.5 billion.
Back when the valuation occurred in March, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk noted that the surrendering of Tisch’s team equity wasn’t ending his tenure with the team, reporting that Tisch would “continue to serve as chairman of the franchise’s board of directors.” Florio went on to observe that the NFL seemingly decided that Tisch’s divestment solved their problem of whether or not to investigate the matter, but Tisch’s remaining presence with the team still poses an issue.
Tisch’s involvement hasn’t quite been as removed as just the chairman of the board, though. As John Fennelly of Giants Wire reported, Tisch was seen front and center in the Giants’ draft room throughout the 2026 NFL Draft. While his ownership stakes have continued to move safely to his children, ensuring the value stays within his family, his involvement with the team has continued as usual with no hint of NFL involvement in sight.
NFL Injury Updates: Jones, Bell, Ford-Wheaton
The Steelers recently used their first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor after drafting two tackles in just the last three years in Georgia-product Broderick Jones and Washington-product Troy Fautanu. There was some belief that this could be a result of Jones undergoing neck surgery earlier in the offseason, but Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Pittsburgh is optimistic Jones will be ready for training camp.
Jones first three seasons in Pittsburgh haven’t gone swimmingly. After taking over a starting role midway through his rookie year, Jones has started 38 of a possible 51 games. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Jones hasn’t ranked any better than 62nd out of 81 players graded at his position in any of his three seasons. With Iheanachor coming in to compete for a role on the offensive line, Jones will want to make sure he’s ready to return by training camp in order to retain his starting spot.
The team has claimed Iheanachor will start his career at right tackle, opposite Jones’ usual position, but if Iheanachor is expected to start as a rookie, that means the usual right tackle, Fautanu will be looking for a new role. A former left tackle for the Huskies, Fautanu could be asked to return to that side of the line for the first time in his NFL career and compete with Jones.
Here are a couple other injury updates from around he NFL:
- New Dolphins wide receiver Chris Bell was a projected first-round talent out of Louisville before suffering a torn ACL in his final collegiate season. Days before the draft, NFL insider Jordan Schultz claimed that Bell was reportedly “ahead of schedule in his ACL recovery and expected to be ready by training camp.” Per Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald, though, Bell is likely to “open training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.” Even if Bell’s rookie debut gets delayed in recovery, it sounds like he stands a descent chance of returning to play fairly early into the year.
- Lastly, Schultz reports that free agent wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton has recently been cleared following recovery from his torn Achilles tendon. The former Giants reserve has been valued on special teams as a gunner and will start working out with new teams soon.
Titans Announce Numerous Staff Changes
In the days following the 2026 NFL Draft, there was an early rumor that the Titans were making additions to their scouting staff (via Titans insider Paul Kuharsky). Nearly two weeks later, the Titans finally announced a number of changes to their front office.
The updates included only two external additions of note; Shane Normandeau has been hired to join the Titans as director, pro scout, and Shepley Heard has been named an area scout for Tennessee. Normandeau has been enjoying a return to the personnel side of things as a pro scout for the Vikings the past two seasons after working for two years as football operations coordinator in Cleveland. He joined the Browns as a scouting assistant, holding that role for two years seasons following a football operations internship with the Colts.
Heard is arriving in Nashville following a 21-year tenure with the Falcons. Starting as a scouting assistant in 2005, Heard served two years as a pro scout before spending the next four years as an area scout. He worked the next six years as a regional scout, splitting him time covering the east and west regions, and was promoted to director of pro personnel in 2019. After Terry Fontenot took over as general manager two years later, Heard was demoted down to area scout, where he remained until getting let go after the draft.
There were several promotions in the personnel department. Assistant director of college scouting Mike Boni was named director, college scouting, coordinator, scouting Patrick Woo was named manager, college/pro scouting, regional Wes Slay was named national scout, scouting assistants Alex Kline and Geo Leins were named pro scout and area scout, respectively, executive assistant to the general manager Kristen Van Iderstine was named coordinator, player personnel, and coaches assistant Kevin Perez replaced Van Iderstine as executive assistant to the general manager.
Boni has 20 years of NFL experience with nine in Tennessee. Turning to scouting after coaching at the high school and Division III college levels, Boni spent two years in minor roles in Buffalo before working nine seasons with the Cardinals, two as an NFS scout and seven as an east area scout. He joined the Titans in 2018 as a college scout, moved up to national scout in 2019, and was promoted to senior national scout in 2024 and his most recent role last year.
Woo started as a recruiting intern at Penn State before working as a scouting coordinator for the Senior Bowl. He found his way to the Titans in 2018 and was promoted to college scouting coordinator a year later. He earned a second promotion to his most recent role, and this year’s elevation is already his third in Tennessee. Slay is entering his 13th season with the Titans after joining the team in 2014 as a scouting assistant. He was promoted to midwest area scout before landing in his most recent role.
Kline and Leins were additions to the Titans front office last year. Kline turned to the personnel side of things after his career as a player led him first to coaching. He worked as director of player personnel at Memphis and director of college scouting at Pitt before joining the Titans. Leins also originally came out of college with recruiting roles at Campbell, UCLA, Wake Forest, and NC State. He debuted in the NFL in 2023 as a scouting assistant with the Dolphins before joining the Titans last year.
Van Iderstine has started her climb up the personnel ladder after joining the team last year. She had previously worked a scouting combine internship and Norma Hunt fellowship with the Chiefs and had collegiate experience as director of football administration at Brown and associate director of football recruiting operations at Stanford. Her replacement, Perez, joined the Titans last year after working equipment and football operations internships with the Jaguars every year since 2020.
In operations, the Titans promoted team operations assistants Nick Hardesty and Kieran Gilbert to director, team operations, and coordinator, team operations, respectively, and assistant to the president of football operations Nicole Kesten to chief of staff, football. Hardesty earns his promotion after five years with the team with prior experience in football operations with the Volunteers in Knoxville. Kesten started her NFL career in Tennessee two years ago as the senior executive assistant to the president of football operations, earning title bumps in each subsequent offseason.
Lastly, in the data analytics department, out is director of football research and development Sarah Bailey, according to ESPN’s Seth Walder. Bailey joined the Titans in 2023, coming over from Los Angeles, where she started in 2017 as a football analyst for the Rams before being promoted to manager – football analytics in 2020. The team also announced that chief of staff of football strategy Bryce Wasserman has been promoted to football counsel/head of football research. This is his third promotion in four years after coming into the role of director of team strategy in 2023.
Ravens Exploring QB Contingencies?
Eight years ago, the Ravens hit the reset button, naming Eric DeCosta as only the second general manager during the team’s tenure in Baltimore and drafting a quarterback who would eventually take over for 10-year starter Joe Flacco. This offseason, the franchise named Jesse Minter as only the fourth head coach in Ravens history, and it seems a similar changing of the guard behind center was explored, as well, according to Jason La Canfora of Sports Illustrated.
Per La Canfora, an NFL general manager informed him that Baltimore was one of “two teams that quietly did the most work on quarterbacks who already have franchise quarterbacks.” While it’s natural to see that, after releasing backup Cooper Rush shortly into free agency, having only two quarterbacks on the roster makes adding, at the very least, some camp arms a priority. The Ravens did just that after the 2026 NFL Draft concluded, but La Canfora’s report refers more to the possibility that Baltimore could’ve used valuable draft capital in search of some possible contingencies should they not be able to reach an extension agreement with star passer Lamar Jackson.
Jackson has been the team’s starter since taking over halfway through his rookie year in 2018. Over that time, the former Heisman Trophy-winner has won two MVP awards, delivered three first-team All-Pro campaigns, and taken his team to the postseason in six of eight tries, reaching the AFC Championship just once. He currently ranks second in many of the franchise’s passing records (behind Flacco) while also ranking second in many of the franchise’s rushing records (behind Jamal Lewis).
Jackson is set to enter the 2026 NFL season on the second-to-last year of a five-year, $260MM extension the team signed him to in 2023. The process that landed him on the historic contract was a rocky one to say the least. A year after exercising the fifth-year option on Jackson’s rookie contract, the Ravens attempted to ink Jackson to an extended contract, but having just missed the last four games of the season and having notched a career-high 13 interceptions, the dual-threat passer turned them down, choosing to bet on himself under the belief that he could add value to any potential extension over another season of play.
Instead, Jackson’s 2022 campaign saw him miss the final five games of the year, complicating contract negotiations a bit. Unable to reach a consensus early into the offseason and with Jackson’s rookie deal coming to an end, the Ravens opted to place a non-exclusive franchise tag on their star quarterback, allowing outside teams to provide Jackson with contract offers knowing that the Ravens would have the ability to either match the offer or be compensated with draft capital if they allowed Jackson to walk. That stalemate ended — after some suspected league-wide collusion — when Jackson signed the five-year deal that is now threatening to end his time in Baltimore.
While the negotiations to keep him in purple and black this time around have not been so visibly contentious, it’s clear the two sides have been unable to come to a consensus. There’s been wide belief in recent weeks that, should the Ravens fail to ink Jackson to another long-term deal in the offseason, it may spell the end of the pair’s longtime union. La Canfora’s report seems to support that notion as it paints a picture of a Baltimore front office doubting its ability to secure Jackson for the future.
The Ravens’ moves post-draft have been those of a team employing camp arms for an offseason program that has, historically, not seen much of Jackson. At the moment, there are five arms in Charm City, consisting of Jackson, primary backup Tyler Huntley, veteran free agent addition Skylar Thompson, and undrafted rookies Diego Pavia and Joe Fagnano. None of the four currently in the room with Jackson pose much threat of giving the Ravens enough confidence to move on from Jackson, but had they succeeded in what La Canfora claims they were attempting to do in the draft, the story might have looked a bit different.
The other team the NFL GM mentioned above that did work on quarterbacks was the Eagles, who did end up drafting a solid passing prospect in North Dakota State’s Cole Payton in the fifth round. The assertion concerning Baltimore isn’t that they were looking to take a late-round flyer; instead, the GM source asserts the Ravens were doing their homework on the likes of Miami’s Carson Beck, Penn State’s Drew Allar, and Arkansas’s Taylen Green. These were late-Day 2, early-Day 3 considerations that ended up landing with teams in insecure quarterback situations where they have more than a slight chance to make an impact.
La Canfora’s GM and a second personnel executive source believe the Ravens were high on Green, whose rushing abilities most-resemble those of Jackson. The imposingly athletic passer ended up landing in Cleveland, where Jackson’s most recent offensive coordinator has just started his first tenure as an NFL head coach. Having failed to acquire any quarterbacks with much promise, the Ravens can simply brush these notions under the rug as they continue their efforts to convince Jackson to stay. If things had lined up differently, though, it seems there was a chance that DeCosta, Minter, and Co. could’ve used a draft pick on a quarterback contingency plan instead of furthering efforts to win now with the current roster makeup.