Lamar Jackson

Latest On Lamar Jackson Contract

May 5th, 2023 at 9:58am CST by Adam La Rose

Lamar Jackson officially ended his contract saga yesterday by signing the contract which makes him the league’s highest-paid player in terms of annual compensation. Further details have emerged regarding the new pact for the Ravens quarterback.

Jackson’s five-year, $260MM contract includes a record-setting $72.5MM signing bonus, along with no-trade and no-franchise tag clauses. An analysis of the year-by-year structure makes clear the commitment Baltimore is making in the first three years of the contract in particular, though its final two seasons could open the door to financial maneuvering on the team’s part to ease Jackson’s cap burden, in addition to the inclusion of a void year in 2028, which is already in place.

As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk details, the contract includes $135MM fully guaranteed at signing, but that figure reaches the initially reported mark of $185MM after two years. Both the 2024 and 2025 seasons contain triggers for compensation in the following campaign to become guaranteed in March, which should help ensure the former MVP remains in Baltimore through at least the 2026 season (during which $29MM of his scheduled $52MM in cashflow is due to become fully guaranteed).

However, that year marks the first in which Jackson’s cap hit spikes to $74.5MM, per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley (Twitter link). The same is true of 2027, meaning the Ravens may need to restructure the pact or extend Jackson to create financial breathing space at that time. Before that point, though, the 26-year-old will see his burden on the team’s cap sheet grow incrementally. Jackson’s cap hits for the next three seasons are $22MM, $33MM and $43.5MM, respectively.

That means the Ravens will have roughly $10MM more in cap space this season than they would have if Jackson had ended up playing on the non-exclusive franchise tag, as some signs appeared to be pointing to until last week. The $32.4MM one-year tender would have left Baltimore and Jackson in a similar situation next offseason to the one they were in for the past several months, but their collective futures are now clear.

As Hensley notes in a separate tweet, the Jackson accord breaks a number of league records, particularly with respect to compensation in its first three years. While the total guarantee still falls well short of Deshaun Watson‘s $230MM, this contract still represents another new watermark for QB mega-deals as the position’s market continues its steady increase.

Lamar Jackson, Eric DeCosta Address Ravens Extension, Other Teams’ Interest, WR Moves

May 4th, 2023 at 12:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the NFL’s longest extension journeys ended earlier Thursday, with Lamar Jackson signing his five-year Ravens contract. Jackson agreed to a $52MM-per-year accord, making him — in terms of average salary — the NFL’s highest-paid player.

This concluded a strange process, one that featured the quarterback operating without an agent. Jackson requested a trade and announced this publicly, indicating he informed the Ravens he wanted out in early March. No team is believed to have expressed serious interest, though Jackson said (via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley) he did hear from clubs during his period on the franchise tag. After it became clear Jackson’s hope of a Deshaun Watson-level guarantee at signing would not come to pass, he inked the five-year, $260MM Ravens deal.

Although Jackson requested a trade, he declined to say what changed between then and his signing. While the Jalen Hurts $51MM-AAV contract would be the most obvious development between those two points, Jackson said the Eagles quarterback’s extension did not affect his. Jackson also curiously said (via NFL.com’s Sherree Burress) he was not interested in other teams’ overtures, pointing out — trade request notwithstanding — he always wanted to be a Raven.

Jackson was connected to nearly half the league this offseason, but an unexpected number of teams made it clear they were not pursuing the former MVP. The lack of genuine interest — at least, at Jackson’s long-reported price point — did surprise Ravens GM Eric DeCosta, who placed the nonexclusive franchise tag ($32.4MM) on the sixth-year quarterback in March.

“Was I surprised? Probably a little bit, but in the end, every team has to look at who they are, how they’re built, what’s important to them,” DeCosta said, via Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. “I always feel like one of the advantages to free agency is when you have a guy on your team, you know exactly who he is, you know how he’s wired, you know what’s important to him. Other teams don’t know that, you know?”

Through either early reports or direct denials of a pursuit, the Dolphins, Jets, Patriots, Colts, Texans, Titans, Commanders, Lions, Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Seahawks were linked to being against going after Jackson. The Raiders instead signed Jimmy Garoppolo to replace Derek Carr, who signed with the Saints ahead of unrestricted free agency. Jackson said Thursday he will continue to represent himself, though he noted (via The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec) agents did court him this offseason.

A player of Jackson’s abilities being available at 26 would seemingly have enticed QB-needy teams, but a few spoke out against the lofty guarantee Jackson was reported to be seeking. After Hurts’ deal followed other post-Watson QB accords in being far from fully guaranteed, the Ravens finalized their Jackson re-up. Still, the AFC North team was prepared to match almost any offer that emerged.

“We respected his position and his feelings, but we were still having a tougher time,” DeCosta said, via Florio, of the Jackson talks. “But in the end, we felt like our deal, that the deals that we had made, we felt they were credible deals, we felt they were strong deals, and we felt like we were in a position to, not that we could match every single deal, but we felt like we would be able to match most deals and that if a team were willing to do a deal that we couldn’t match would be very hard for that team to do that type of deal. Not impossible, but very difficult.”

Jackson’s full contract numbers have not surfaced, but CBS Sports’ Joel Corry reports the extension comes with a record-setting $72.5MM signing bonus, which breaks Dak Prescott‘s previous standard. The contract comes with $80MM in 2023, Florio tweets, adding the first three years are guaranteed. This deal also includes a no-trade clause and a clause that prevents a 2028 franchise tag, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones adds.

Russell Wilson‘s $124MM still represents the NFL’s second-highest full guarantee, with teams successfully managing to make Watson’s Browns pact a leverage-based outlier. Considering how much full guarantees came up during the Jackson negotiations, it will be interesting to see how close to Watson the three-time Pro Bowler landed here.

The Ravens have added Odell Beckham Jr. and first-rounder Zay Flowers to their receiving corps. While DeCosta also said (via Florio) he had probably done a poor job of assembling a quality receiving corps around his run-oriented QB, Jackson said he did not mandate the team sign OBJ and trade for DeAndre Hopkins. Linked to making such a request, Jackson confirmed (via Zrebiec) he asked DeCosta if the team had room for the wideouts. Even as his trade request still stood, Jackson helped recruit Beckham to Baltimore.

Jackson plans to report to Ravens OTAs at some point and said (via CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson) he began to feel all the way back from his PCL injury in April. After reports indicated Jackson would be back well before season’s end, the Ravens kept ruling out their QB — to the point it became a controversial topic. Jackson has failed to complete each of the past two seasons, inviting questions about his durability and how his play style would hold up in the long run. Some connected the longer-than-expected absence to Jackson’s contract uncertainty. With this in the past, via Jackson receiving full clearance to return, the 2018 first-rounder has spoken with new Baltimore OC Todd Monken.

With this rather eventful piece of business behind them, the Ravens will try and build a playoff team in a conference that has gained strength this offseason. Jackson will obviously be the top determinant in Baltimore being able to qualify for a fifth postseason bracket in six years.

Lamar Jackson Signs Ravens Extension

May 4th, 2023 at 10:10am CST by Adam La Rose

MAY 4: The NFL’s new top salary is now official. A week after agreeing to terms, Jackson signed his Ravens extension Thursday. This pact is worth $52MM on average. While the full details have yet to emerge, the Ravens — after a two-plus-year negotiating journey — have the former MVP signed through 2027.

APRIL 27: All eyes are on this weekend’s draft at the moment, but the situation between the Ravens and Lamar Jackson remains one of interest. A breakthrough on an extension for the quarterback could be on the horizon; Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reports (via Twitter) that “major progress” has been made on talks for a new deal. Per multiple reports, a deal is, in fact, in place.

The Ravens have confirmed that a five-year extension has been agreed to, while Ian Rapoport of NFL Network adds that it has a value of $260MM (Twitter link). That will make Jackson the league’s highest-paid player. CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson tweets that the pact includes $185MM guaranteed.

The latter number is believed to be the total guarantee, per The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec (on Twitter). For total guarantees, Jackson now sits in second — behind only Deshaun Watson. The Browns quarterback’s fully guaranteed deal remains an outlier, an outcome the Ravens — and other teams — have pushed for since it happened. In terms of per-year average, however, Jackson’s $52MM now leads the league.

This news comes shortly after ESPN’s Jamison Hensley tweeted that he had been told “good news [is] on the way for the Ravens,” which can now be presumed to be a reference to Jackson negotiations. The process of arriving at a long-term pact has been a long and arduous one, but inking the former MVP will of course mark a major milestone for the franchise.

Jackson, 26, has been eligible for a new deal since January 2021, but one has not appeared to be close at any given time. Guaranteed money — especially in the wake of Cleveland’s 2022 Watson contract — has often been mentioned as a sticking point in Jackson’s situation. The latter has turned down several offers, including one with a reported $175MM in guarantees. That September proposal, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero (on Twitter), included a $50MM-per-year average, which would have tied Aaron Rodgers‘ league lead at the time.

Jackson has been linked to wanting more than the $230MM in fully guaranteed compensation that Watson received in his historic deal. That became a nonstarter for the Ravens and everyone else. However, the QB market has seen a number of sizable pacts signed since Watson’s; each included far less than 100% in guarantees. The most recent of those is the extension signed by Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, which averages an unprecedented $51MM in annual compensation. Rapoport tweets that once the Hurts pact was in place, the Ravens upped their offer to Jackson; that effort has brought talks across the finish line.

Jackson will now be tied to the Ravens through the 2027 season, as this megadeal will take the place of his franchise tag. The Ravens’ decision to place the non-exclusive tender on him last month put them in position to have him on a much less expensive price tag in 2023 ($32.4MM compared to $45MM). However, it opened the door to other teams being able to negotiate an offer sheet or a tag-and-trade agreement, moves which would have been franchise-defining for Baltimore and an acquiring team.

Despite Jackson’s age and statistical success, no suitors emerged to pry him away from the Ravens. Injuries in each of the past two seasons and his unique skillset (which relies heavily on the run game) represented red flags for teams, along with the enormity of any deal which would be necessary to acquire him. Most teams which would have been in the running to sign the Louisville alum have the potential to add a rookie passer tonight, which will give them a cost-controlled signal-caller for years to come.

As a result, the expectation has remained that Jackson would end up signing a deal of some kind in Baltimore. The addition of wideout Odell Beckham Jr. — whom Jackson helped recruit — pointed further in that direction. As some have speculated, the nature of the latter’s deal could even open up the possibility of the Ravens pursuing DeAndre Hopkins, someone the team has frequently been linked to both before and after signing Beckham. The Ravens also discussed Courtland Sutton with the Broncos. In any case, the passing game in Baltimore should have more upside than it has in recent years.

After Joe Flacco helped lead the Ravens to their Super Bowl XLVII victory, he was rewarded with a franchise-record extension. The same has now taken place with Jackson, as he and the team will look to avoid the controversy which emerged later into the Flacco pact regarding his standing amongst the league’s highest-paid QBs. The stage is now set, meanwhile, for other young signal-callers (namely Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert) to continue negotiating monster deals of their own this offseason.

Latest On Odell Beckham Jr., Lamar Jackson

April 13th, 2023 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

The Ravens held newly signed wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.‘s introductory press conference today, in which Beckham spoke for nearly 40 minutes on what brought him to Baltimore, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN. During Beckham’s introduction to Charm City, the media even got a short update on the situation surrounding quarterback Lamar Jackson from both Beckham and general manager Eric DeCosta.

The biggest headline from Beckham pertained to the former MVP as Beckham confirmed that he had received no assurances that Jackson would be back at quarterback. Beckham told reporters that “the goal was to come (to Baltimore) and have that possibility to play with (Jackson).” He said he would let DeCosta take care of business but made sure to stare straight down the cameras and say, “Lamar, if you’re watching, I would love to get to work with you.”

Beckham spoke to the other factors that lured him to Baltimore, citing team owner Steve Bisciotti as having played a big role. Bisciotti reportedly reached out to Beckham and said all the right things. Between Bisciotti, his former offensive coordinator Todd Monken, and some recruitment from Jackson and other players, Beckham claims it wasn’t money that drew him to the Ravens but a true belief from both parties that he was a piece that could help them win.

Lastly, Beckham discussed perhaps the biggest item of concern for the upcoming season: his health. After sitting out all of the 2022 season due to his ACL injuries, Beckham was hesitant to commit to attending organized team activities this offseason, according to Mike Florio of NBC Sports. He minimized the importance of OTAs, indicating that his main focus was returning to the field on Sundays.

Pertaining to Beckham’s performance on Sundays, we finally have some details on the $3MM of incentives in his new deal. According to Florio, Beckham can earn an extra $1MM for each of three categories: receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. For receptions, the incentive progresses as follows: $250,000 for 30 receptions, $500,000 for 40, $750,000 for 50, and $1MM for 60. For receiving yards, the incentive progresses as follows: $250,000 for 250 yards, $500,000 for 500, $750,000 for 750, and $1MM for 1,000. For receiving touchdowns, the incentive progresses as follows: $250,000 for three touchdowns, $500,000 for five, $750,000 for seven, and $1MM if he catches nine scores or leads the team in receiving touchdowns.

We got some comments from DeCosta, as well, in the press conference today. The fifth-year general manager explained that the team had been in talks with Beckham since last October. The team sent assistant wide receivers coach Keith Williams to Beckham’s workout in March and talked to Beckham at the owners’ meetings in Arizona.

“This was the guy that we felt could help take us to the next level,” DeCosta told the media. “We’ve had lots of players come back from this type of injury and flourish over time.” He continued, “We went into it knowing we were the underdogs (to the Jets), and…sometimes the underdog wins.”

In reference to Jackson, DeCosta claimed that he hadn’t spoken with the quarterback since signing Beckham but has communicated with Jackson since his trade request and franchise tagging, declining to relay any details.

“Lamar’s in our plans; we love Lamar,” DeCosta said. “Our feelings about Lamar have not changed one bit since the end of the season. We’re hopeful still that we’ll get a long-term deal done. He’s the right player for this team to lead us to where we want to be. I think the locker room knows that, the organization knows that. I think the fan base knows that. So it’s ongoing. But I can’t think of a situation where we wouldn’t think that our best team is with Lamar Jackson on the team in September.”

Even past Jackson’s participation in the recruitment of Beckham to Baltimore, Jackson and Beckham further commingled after the Ravens signed Beckham on Sunday night. The two went out to dinner together in Miami before being seen at a club later that night. Many viewed Beckham’s addition to the team as a positive step towards Jackson’s return to the Ravens. While that hasn’t been guaranteed, Beckham sure hopes he has Jackson throwing passes to him in 2023.

Lamar Jackson Helped Recruit Odell Beckham Jr. To Ravens

April 10th, 2023 at 7:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

While no official word has come out regarding Lamar Jackson withdrawing his trade request, Sunday night provided an interesting indication regarding the former MVP’s expectations on this front. Odell Beckham Jr. passed on a potential partnership with Aaron Rodgers — after doing so in 2021 as well — to play for a Ravens team not on great terms with its quarterback.

Beckham probably has a good idea who Baltimore’s 2023 starter will be. Jackson actively recruited the eight-year veteran wideout to Maryland, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (video link). An understanding exists, upon Beckham signing, it will likely be Jackson targeting him next season.

Although an offer sheet — potentially one after the draft — could shake up this situation, no team has made any indications it will consider that expensive path. Jackson continues to seek Deshaun Watson-level guarantees, which has thus far been a non-starter. As it stands now, Jackson should be expected to remain with the Ravens in 2023. How this OBJ addition came together — just before the longstanding free agent was to visit the Jets — lends more weight to Jackson realizing he is unlikely to change teams this year.

Only three players (Le’Veon Bell, Dan Williams, Sean Gilbert) have ever skipped a season while on a franchise tag. Jackson’s tag price ($32.4MM) is in another financial stratosphere compared to those players’ compensation. His unpredictable odyssey since becoming extension-eligible in January 2021 aside, the sixth-year passer should never have been viewed as a legitimate candidate to sit out a season. The Ravens have now given Jackson his highest-profile wideout.

Baltimore pursued DeAndre Hopkins and Courtland Sutton in trades, and the team should not be considered out of the mix to further add to its receiver mix early in the draft. Baltimore, which also signed Nelson Agholor to a lower-cost deal, has done extensive homework on this year’s top-graded wide receivers. Jordan Addison and Quentin Johnston have visited the team, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba will do so. The Ravens have used first-round picks on receivers in 2019 (Marquise Brown) and 2021 (Rashod Bateman). The draft has been the primary avenue for this run-heavy team to bolster its receiving corps, but the $15MM guarantee given to Beckham — one that appears much higher than the Giants or Jets were proposing — finally lured a marquee free agent.

Beckham, Bateman, Agholor and Devin Duvernay represent the top Ravens receivers. Three of these players missed all or part of last season due to major injuries. Beckham, of course, sat out the 2022 season due to his Super Bowl LVI ACL tear. Bateman missed much of the campaign due to a broken foot; a Duvernay foot injury ended his season in Week 15.

The Ravens have until July 17 to extend Jackson, who will otherwise be attached to the tag salary. Baltimore could trade Jackson after that date, leading to the three-time Pro Bowler playing for another team on the tag. But scant indications have come out the Ravens are planning to go elsewhere. The Ravens are hosting Anthony Richardson next week, Cameron Wolfe of NFL.com tweets, and may be looking into other quarterbacks in the draft, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes. GM Eric DeCosta left the door open to a first-round passer being in play, but the Beckham addition makes that already-unlikely scenario less realistic.

Arthur Blank Denies Falcons Were Serious On Deshaun Watson, Addresses Lack Of Lamar Jackson Interest

April 5th, 2023 at 10:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

Most of the reporting done regarding last year’s Deshaun Watson sweepstakes revealed the Falcons were set to land the then-embattled quarterback via trade, but the Browns’ $230MM fully guaranteed contract won out. Arthur Blank‘s stance now is the team was not especially close to acquiring Watson.

Asked about the differences between the Watson pursuit and the Falcons joining the rest of the QB-needy or borderline QB-needy teams in avoiding Lamar Jackson, Blank said staff conversations led the team to view Watson as a poor fit.

“I think we explored the one last year, which is what our responsibility was,” Blank said, via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s D. Orlando Ledbetter. “We didn’t explore it deeply, deeply. We spent some time on it from a legal standpoint, personal standpoint, value standpoint on the player and a variety of things. Soon after we got into exploring, we decided it wasn’t a very good match.

“… I think Lamar’s situation, and I don’t really want to spend a whole lot of time talking about players on other clubs, but Lamar’s situation, I think is very different. A different player. Different time.”

The Falcons joined the Browns, Panthers and Saints as meeting the Texans’ trade price, and a report the day Houston agreed to send Watson to Cleveland indicated Atlanta was “very close” to acquiring the Georgia native. Watson had narrowed his list to the Falcons and Saints — before the Browns’ contract offer — and the quarterback was believed to be recruiting Jarvis Landry and Leonard Fournette to Atlanta. That report and others later in the year viewed Watson as being Atlanta-bound were it not for Cleveland’s historic guarantee structure — one that has altered Jackson’s path.

The Texans only permitted the four finalists to meet with Watson had they offered satisfactory trade compensation, pointing to Atlanta being much farther down the Watson road compared to Blank’s assessment. The Browns’ Watson agreement has directly impacted the Ravens’ Jackson talks, with the former MVP long being connected to asking for Watson-level guarantees. No other quarterback is tied to a guarantee north of $124MM, and teams have attempted to make the Watson accord an outlier. Thus far, franchises’ efforts have been successful.

The Falcons drafted Desmond Ridder a few weeks after missing on Watson, and they are committing to the third-round pick as their 2023 starter. With Atlanta having not made the playoffs since 2017 and Ridder far from a sure thing, Blank’s club would seem to be one of the most logical Jackson suitors. No team has emerged as a suitor, and Blank alluded to Jackson’s run-oriented skillset as one of the reasons for the Falcons’ current stance. Jackson’s recent injury history (11 missed games since 2021) is believed to have affected teams’ interest levels, though his contractual demand has long been viewed as the main impediment.

“Looking at it objectively, there is some concern about whether or not he can play his style of game for … how long can that last,” Blank said. “I’m not sure. He’s only 26. Hopefully a long time for his benefit or anybody that he’s signed with. But he’s missed five to six games each of the last two years. This is not like baseball and basketball where you’re playing 82 or a 182 games, or whatever baseball is now.”

Blank confirmed Arthur Smith, GM Terry Fontenot and Falcons CEO Rich McKay looked into Jackson. Blank was not involved in the evaluation. While Blank called Jackson “one of the top quarterbacks in this league,” the Falcons will stand down on an expensive pursuit and go with Ridder. The four-year Cincinnati starter worked as the Falcons’ first-stringer in four games last season. Ridder completed 63.5% of his passes, threw two TD passes and no INTs, but averaged just 6.2 yards per attempt.

Ridder’s rookie contract runs through 2025, and it will help Atlanta build its roster. Although Ridder will need to prove worthy of being a player good enough to build around, the Falcons came into free agency with a top-three cap-space figure. This standing came after the team ate a dead-money record from the Matt Ryan trade ($40MM) and also took on dead-cap hits from the Julio Jones and Deion Jones swaps.

During Blank’s run as Falcons owner, the team has authorized three big-ticket quarterback contracts — Michael Vick‘s 2004 extension and Ryan’s second and third accords. It appears Blank, whose team certainly appears to have been close to acquiring Watson last year, would like to build around a rookie deal for a while.

“We just came out a period of time … last year we set a record for the most dead money in the history of the NFL,” Blank said. “In my 21 years as an owner, we had close to the least amount of cap room than we’ve ever had before. This year, we had a healthy amount of cap room. Not very much dead money, a little bit, not much.

“Having compensation at 25% or so tied up in one player, we’ve lived through that. It definitely can put a lot of restraint on your ability to round out a roster and to have the depth on the roster given 17 games and the nature of this game, it still a contact sport … we need to build a team.”

Ravens Will Consider Round 1 QB; Team Made Offer To Baker Mayfield?

April 5th, 2023 at 12:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Tyler Hunt ley remains in place as the Ravens’ backup quarterback, but the team did not tender its two-year QB2 on the second-round level. Baltimore giving Huntley the low-end tender would not lead to compensation if the former UDFA signed an unmatched offer sheet.

As Huntley goes into a contract year, the Ravens pursued other options for either a backup QB or insurance against a Lamar Jackson departure. The team made an offer to Baker Mayfield, per JoeBucsFan.com. An ESPN report in March indicated Baltimore looked into Mayfield and Jacoby Brissett. Mayfield signed with the Buccaneers, Brissett with the Commanders.

The Ravens faced Brissett last season, during the journeyman’s Deshaun Watson fill-in stop, and matched up with Mayfield for four seasons. Brissett signed a one-year deal worth $8MM ($7.5MM guaranteed); Mayfield inked a one-year, $4MM pact ($4MM guaranteed). Mayfield’s contract includes performance incentives. Each player will navigate in-house competition from inexperienced options — Sam Howell and Kyle Trask, respectively — but will be favored to win those jobs, unless a bigger name lands in Washington or Tampa.

Passing on a Ravens offer is logical for a quarterback hoping for a starter path. It cannot be assumed Jackson, despite his having issued a trade request March 2, will be gone. No team besides the Ravens has shown interest, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com adds (video link) the sides have talked recently. Jackson and the Ravens spoke around 10 days ago, which was around the time the former MVP made his trade request public. The Ravens have until July 17 to sign Jackson to a long-term deal, though the sides remain far apart on guarantees. Jackson having a clear route back to Baltimore, however, would naturally lead less accomplished passers elsewhere.

Many bridge- or backup-level QBs have landed gigs since free agency started, but a few notable names have not. Teddy Bridgewater remains available, as do Carson Wentz, Mason Rudolph, Matt Ryan and 11-year Ravens starter Joe Flacco. Of course, Ryan and Flacco — each 2008 first-round picks — would be going into their age-38 seasons and are on clear declines. Bridgewater, who is preparing for his age-31 campaign, would be a better option. Wentz, 30, is open to continuing his career as a backup, but three teams have jettisoned the former No. 2 overall pick over the past three offseasons. The one-time MVP candidate would make for a polarizing insurance option.

Jackson has stuck to his guns as a self-represented player in search of Watson-level full guarantees ($230MM). The Ravens have offered Jackson $133MM guaranteed — in a deal that included a $175MM total guarantee that would have shifted to a full guarantee early in the contract — but that proposal is no longer believed to be on the table. Still, it should not be expected Jackson will pass on a $32.4MM franchise-tag salary.

Since the franchise tag was introduced in 1993, only three players — defensive linemen Sean Gilbert (1997) and Dan Williams (1998) and running back Le’Veon Bell (2018) — have skipped a season and passed on a tag paycheck. All three secured multiyear deals the following year — Gilbert and Bell from different teams, while the Chiefs circled back to Williams — but it is the extraordinarily rare path to take for a tag recipient. Jackson would have until Week 10 to report Then again, Jackson has passed on collecting franchise-QB money in each of the past two years. His 2021 route was perhaps more notable, as Watson’s Browns guarantee had not yet entered the equation.

Discussing the draft (and only the draft, as Jackson questions were declined; Ravens officials did not mention his name) Wednesday, Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said (via SI.com’s Albert Breer) the team would consider a quarterback. While this may not be the full truth, as DeCosta deferred to the team’s draft board including QBs with first-round grades. But DeCosta added more than four passers in this draft can be “significant quarterbacks in this league.” The Ravens have scheduled an Anthony Richardson meeting. As of now, Richardson is the only QB the franchise is using a “30” visit on, Rapoport adds.

Ravens Offered Lamar Jackson $175MM In Total Guarantees; Deal No Longer On Table

April 4th, 2023 at 10:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Offseason No. 3 of the Ravens-Lamar Jackson contract story has produced the biggest headlines, which include franchise tag and a trade request. But this saga’s second year included the clearest picture of Baltimore’s offer.

Long reported to have offered Jackson $133MM fully guaranteed, the Ravens proposed the former MVP a deal with $175MM in total guarantees. The $42MM injury guarantee would have shifted to a full guarantee early over the course of the contract, Albert Breer of SI.com reports. An additional $25MM — present in the fourth year of the contract — would have become guaranteed in Year 3 of the deal, Breer adds. Overall, that 2022 offer topped $290MM over six years. The $175MM in total guarantees would have topped Russell Wilson ($165MM) for second in the league.

The year-out guarantees helped move the Patrick Mahomes Chiefs extension past the goal line in 2020, and while that 10-year agreement is an outlier and rather team-friendly, the two-time MVP has protections via the advanced rolling guarantees. Mahomes joins most of the league’s franchise QBs in having signed an extension before his fourth season. Jackson joins Dak Prescott and Kirk Cousins in not doing so. Prescott, however, had a deal in place by this point in his career; he signed his Cowboys extension in March 2021. Jackson has played five seasons; no resolution is in sight.

Perhaps more importantly, given the time that has passed since the 2022 offseason — when the Ravens proposed the $175MM guaranteed ahead of the Jackson-imposed negotiation deadline — Breer adds this deal is no longer on the table. The Ravens remain in fairly good position, even after their disgruntled QB’s trade request emerged, as no team has shown much interest in authorizing the monster guarantee he seeks. Baltimore has also been open to a Cousins-style short-term accord that would come fully guaranteed, per Breer, who adds Jackson is not set against one type of structure.

Cousins signed a three-year, $84MM Vikings contract in 2018; that deal helped accelerate the QB market after it had moved slower in the years leading up to that point. Jackson indicated the Ravens have offered him a Cousins-like deal — a $133MM fully guaranteed pact over three years — but the self-represented passer turned it down. Jackson, 26, has continually been linked to seeking a contract in the Deshaun Watson full guarantee neighborhood ($230MM). With no other QB tied to more than $125MM in full guarantees, Jackson and the Ravens have a substantial gap to bridge.

Jackson’s refusal to use an agent in these negotiations has generated scrutiny, and the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora notes it has contributed to the sixth-year star being in this position. Since Jackson entered the league in 2018, Mahomes, Carson Wentz, Jared Goff, Josh Allen and Kyler Murray have signed big-ticket extensions to lock in windfalls before their fourth seasons. Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts and Justin Herbert may join them this offseason. Watson earned unusual leverage to sign two deals before his sixth NFL campaign. Jackson played on his rookie salary in 2021 and the fifth-year option in 2022, putting him significantly behind his peers in earnings through five seasons. An agent might have helped prevent that outcome, and La Canfora adds some around the league believe a certified rep might also help provide clarity regarding the gridlock that has formed since the Ravens gave Jackson the $32.4MM non-exclusive tag.

The Ravens remain on solid footing with Jackson in part because teams have lined up to say they are not interested, closing doors early. These paths might not remain barricaded all the way through the July 17 tag deadline, but they are presently closed. Jackson’s playing style has caused concerns about a short career, according to one executive assessing the Ravens’ offseason (via The Athletic’s Mike Sando). Despite Jackson missing 10 regular-season games from 2021-22, his 727 carries lap the field among QBs through five seasons. Cam Newton‘s 599 are second. Another exec added that if the pass-oriented Mahomes were in this position, he would have 30 guaranteed offers.

Jackson’s injuries over the past two seasons and guarantee demands have frozen his market. The Ravens, meanwhile, want to bring back the former Heisman winner to play in new OC Todd Monken‘s scheme. A team’s draft not unfolding as planned might entice a post-draft offer sheet from another team, but for now, the Ravens are his only known suitor.

Latest On Negotiations Between Ravens, Lamar Jackson

April 1st, 2023 at 9:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

One of the top offseason storylines in the NFL remains the Lamar Jackson saga. Contract talks between the Ravens and the former MVP have not yielded progress, and the latter revealed recently that he has requested a trade to a team willing to sign him to the deal he is seeking.

Multiple offseasons of negotiations have stalled, primarily due to the issue of guaranteed money. The contract given to Deshaun Watson by the Browns last season – five years in length, totaling $230MM guaranteed in full – has long been seen as the sticking point between the two parties. That could represent a benchmark for Jackson (and other quarterbacks due for monster extensions in the near future), though the rest of the NFL has made it clear they consider the Watson pact an exception, rather than the beginning of a new trend.

Speaking on the subject during an appearance on the Bernie Kosar Show, longtime Ravens GM and current EVP Ozzie Newsome said, “every club has to do what they have to do with contracts. I don’t worry about what other people do, but our owner did say that contract did create some problems. We have to figure out if that’s going to be the norm or is that an outlier. We don’t know” (video link).

With the relationship between Jackson, 26, and the Ravens taking multiple noteworthy and public turns recently, many have speculated about the potential for his career to continue in Baltimore. On that point, ESPN’s Dan Graziano notes that a path towards fences being mended still exists in this situation. The Ravens have remained effusive in their praise of the former first-rounder, who is scheduled to play on the franchise tag ($32.4MM) in 2023 in the absence of a long-term deal.

Graziano adds that Jackson is asking for more than the $230MM Watson received in guaranteed money, but also that the Louisville product does not appear to be insistent on all of his deal being guaranteed. That may very well represent a moot point to many outside teams, considering the sizeable gap in guarantees which exists between the Watson pact and those signed last summer by the likes of Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray. It could, on the other hand, point further to Jackson and the Ravens being able to reach an agreement down the road.

However, Graziano’s colleague Jeremy Fowler reports that Baltimore is not currently moving with much urgency in terms of negotiations. Their decision to use the non-exclusive tag on Jackson left him free to test his market with potential suitors, but no serious ones have emerged at this point. Plenty of time remains until the draft, which could be an unofficial trade deadline, but also until the middle of July, the point by which Jackson will be required to sign the tag to be eligible to play this season. The ESPN pair note that the two-time Pro Bowler has become frustrated with Baltimore’s recent offers, and that he remains “principled” on the notion of setting a new precedent for future QB mega-deals.

While the Jackson saga is dominating the Ravens’ offseason, more news at the position could be forthcoming. Head coach John Harbaugh confirmed at the annual league meetings that the team is strongly considering adding a veteran backup quarterback. A number of options are off the market at this point in free agency, but The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec names Carson Wentz, Teddy Bridgewater and Mason Rudolph as potential targets who are still available (subscription required). In the event Jackson decides not to sign his tender by OTAs or training camp, the team will need to make an addition of some kind. By that point, more clarity may have emerged regarding their future under center.

Falcons HC Arthur Smith Addresses Commitment To Desmond Ridder, Lamar Jackson Interest

April 1st, 2023 at 3:58pm CST by Adam La Rose

For weeks, teams around the league have had the option of making an aggressive pursuit of Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, since he was issued the non-exclusive franchise tag. Very little interest has emerged regarding either an offer sheet or a tag-and-trade, however, including from the Falcons, a team many pointed to as a potential landing spot.

Atlanta was the first team reported to turn down interest in acquiring the former MVP, whose contract standoff with the Ravens has taken a number of public turns. The most recent of those, of course, was Jackson’s revelation that he has a month-long standing trade request with Baltimore, since the team has remained unwilling to meet his asking price.

One day after Jackson’s desire to be traded become known, the Falcons committed to 2022 third-rounder Desmond Ridder as their starting quarterback heading into next season. The 23-year-old served as Atlanta’s QB1 for four games to close out the 2022 campaign, taking over from veteran Marcus Mariota. Ridder didn’t put up eye-catching numbers in his audition, but he did enough to convince the Falcons to avoid the high cost (in both draft capital and finances) which would be required to land Jackson.

“He won a lot of games in college and helped Luke Fickell at Cincinnati really change the whole culture of that program,” Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show (video link). “And I certainly think that experience, you start that many games coming in helps… And certainly there’s a lot of things we all can continue to improve, but we’ve got a lot of faith in him.”

Ridder, the second signal-caller drafted in last year’s underwhelming class, went 2-2 in his rookie year. He has three more years of being team-friendly from a financial standpoint, which helps explain the Falcons’ decision to opt for a patient approach under center. The cap dilemma Atlanta would put themselves in – not long after clearing up a number of expensive contracts, including that of Matt Ryan – remains a key reason why they have shied away from Jackson.

“The belief becomes so much more transactional,” Smith said. “It’s our job to understand the markets that’s going on, and who’s available, who’s not, do they fit… at the end of the day you’ve got to do what you think is best for your team and what you’re building and how it fits into that puzzle.”

The Falcons currently have just over $21.5MM in cap space, which ranks sixth in the NFL. That comes after the team elected to add veteran Taylor Heinicke as their backup, a role he is willing to accept. While Jackson would offer far more in the way of pedigree than that duo, Atlanta remains in line with the rest of the league in turning their attention away from him during roster-building season.

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