Much of the talk surrounding Lamar Jackson‘s ongoing negotiations with the Ravens has been based on speculation. Now, we’re hearing directly from the source. The quarterback told reporters today that he continues to negotiate a new deal with the Ravens, although he was clear that the two sides were “keeping [details] in-house.” When asked if he believed he’d ultimately agree to an extension, the quarterback expressed optimism about a deal.

[RELATED: Latest On Lamar Jackson Contract Talks]

“I think so. I think so. I think so. We’ll have to see,” Jackson said (via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley).

Jackson did tell reporters that he’s got a clear “cutoff” date for negotiations, so the Ravens are working against an unofficial deadline (whenever that may be, although Jackson was speaking to a question regarding Baltimore’s September 11 opener). ESPN’s Jeff Darlington tweets that we’ll get clarity on negotiations soon; either Jackson agrees to a new deal with the Ravens or he stops negotiations with a focus on the 2022 campaign. The 25-year-old is slated to earn $23MM in 2022 on the fifth-year option.

The former MVP is one of the few NFL players who doesn’t have an agent and represents himself. When asked if he thought about staging a “hold in” and avoiding on-field work during the first days of training camp, Jackson made it clear that he never considered the negotiating tactic.

“I want to win at the end of the day. I just want to be great,” Jackson said. “I just want to work with my brothers. I don’t want to leave them out there hanging. That’s not me. That’s never been me.”

At the very least, this is good news for Ravens fans, as there were some question marks surrounding Jackson’s desire to stay in Baltimore long-term. We heard earlier today that Jackson was interested in sticking around Baltimore and was discussing a new contract with the organization, although no agreement was imminent.

As ‘hold-in’ season begins around the league in some players’ cases, Lamar Jackson is taking part in training camp. The top storyline surrounding the team all offseason has been the lack of traction regarding an extension for the Ravens’ QB, but progress could be coming soon. 

Jackson’s arrival at camp sparked the latest round of questions related to his long-term future with the team. He is slated to earn $23MM in 2022 on the fifth-year option, but a deal similar to the ones given to Deshaun Watson and Kyler Murray this offseason has not been considered close to being finalized at any time.

To that point, Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network confirms that nothing is currently “imminent” on the extension front, and that Jackson is still “in no rush” to sign a new deal. In the absence of an extension, the 25-year-old’s short-term future would consist of one or two seasons played out on franchise tags – the value of which, in 2023, would be roughly $47MM, right in line with the annual averages of Watson’s and Murray’s new contracts.

The fact that Jackson wasn’t the party most interested in discussing an extension in March cast doubt on his willingness to commit to the franchise over the long-term, something the front office has expressed a desire for on multiple occasions. The notion that the former MVP was focused solely on preparations for the upcoming season has been contradicted by, among other things, Jackson’s latest public remarks on the potential for a new pact to come to fruition before the campaign begins.

Wilson adds that Jackson remains “open and interested in a long-term deal with the Ravens.” His participation in camp is further evidence that any animosity between himself and GM Eric DeCosta has been minimal at worst (something which is particularly significant since the two have handled negotiations directly). With the door open to a deal being reached in the near future – apparently to a greater extent than at any other point this offseason – this situation remains a crucially important one for all sides involved.

While the news of one of the top extension-eligible QBs signing a new deal broke earlier today, there was an important update regarding one of the other signal-callers in that same category. Lamar Jackson reported early to Baltimore’s training camp, as the team confirmed on Twitter. 

The distinct absence of an extension has been a major talking point since the 2020 campaign ended, and increasingly so this offseason. The team has consistently shown a willingness to try and negotiate directly with the agent-less 25-year-old; Jackson’s hesitancy to reciprocate has led to plenty of speculation about his long-term future with the Ravens.

Other factors loom large as well, of course. The gap between Jackson’s statistical performance in his MVP-winning 2019 season and the subsequent pair of campaigns, coupled with his 2021 season-ending ankle injury have caused doubts to be raised about his value on a multi-year deal. With little progress being made throughout much of the time in which Jackson has been eligible for an extension, it has looked more and more likely that he will play out the 2022 season on the fifth-year option ($23MM).

In June, however, talks resumed between the two-time Pro Bowler and general manager Eric DeCosta during mandatory minicamp – which came after Jackson skipped OTAs for the first time in his career. Then, earlier this month, Jackson spoke publicly about his optimism of getting a deal finalized, potentially before training camp opens in full. The chances of that happening seem to remain slim, though.

Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson reports that “no deal is imminent” at this time. He does add, on the other hand, that talks are still ongoing. Jackson has been connected to Murray as a member of the next wave of QBs due for extensions in the vicinity of the ones given to Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, along with, more recently, Deshaun Watson‘s fully-guaranteed $230MM pact. The fact that Kyler Murray received a deal worth a fraction more than that total (and with $160MM in guarantees) will only lead to further belief that Jackson will end up in that range as well, regardless of when his deal gets finalized.

As John Harbaugh expected, Lamar Jackson is back with his teammates at minicamp. The former MVP showed up to the team’s facility ahead of the mandatory workouts, which are slated to begin Tuesday.

Entangled in a somewhat strange contract situation, Jackson stayed away from Ravens OTAs this year. The star quarterback had usually attended those voluntary sessions in previous years. But the franchise’s centerpiece player is back for the mandatory work, at least. As far as an extension goes, that is another matter entirely.

The Ravens have Jackson tied to a $23MM fifth-year option this season. Harbaugh, GM Eric DeCosta and owner Steve Bisciotti have spoken about the quarterback’s extension situation, each indicating the team is more prepared to hammer out a deal than the quarterback is. All indications at this point have Jackson on track to play out his rookie contract, setting up a franchise tag scenario in 2023. Although there is still time for the parties to prevent that chain of events, this remains one of the more unusual contractual sagas to unfold in recent years. Jackson, 25, has been extension-eligible since the 2020 regular season ended.

The former Heisman winner will avoid the $90K-plus fine by showing up for the Ravens’ mandatory sessions, returning to work with a new-look offensive line and a receiving corps now without his top wideout (Marquise Brown) of the past three seasons. The Ravens are breaking in rookie center Tyler Linderbaum, and they have a new right tackle in Morgan Moses. While OTAs do not feature any padded practices, and the Ravens are returning their play-caller (Greg Roman), Jackson’s absence was still notable.

But this has never been viewed as a contentious situation. The parties have nearly three months to complete an extension before Week 1. Even if they do not, Jackson has continually said he wants to stay in Baltimore. He has taken an atypical route to show that affection, at least compared to most QBs who have been in his spot since the 2011 CBA changed rookies’ salaries and timetables. Though, it is unknown what the Ravens have offered the agent-less talent. For now, the team can again move forward with its longtime passer after some time apart.

As the OTA portion of the offseason came to a close, Lamar Jackson remained a key talking point around the Ravens. His absence at the voluntary workouts continued, as noted by ESPN’s Jamison Hensley (on Twitter). 

Jackson skipped OTAs for the first time in his career this offseason, one which has been dominated by speculation regarding his contract status. Once considered to be a lock for the next mega-deal signed by the league’s top young quarterbacks in recent years, Jackson and the Ravens are widely thought to be in a holding pattern until next offseason. Assuming that remains the case, the 25-year-old will earn $23MM this year on the fifth-year option.

The team has made repeated efforts to negotiate a long-term deal with Jackson, but little traction has been found with respect to contract talks. The ongoing financial situation between player and club was front and center once again when it became known he was conducting offseason work privately, rather than with the team, during OTAs. That activity did, on the other hand, include work with some of the team’s receivers earlier in the spring, something which has added significance given the question marks surrounding that position group.

Not long after confirming Jackson’s absence from the final week of OTAs, Hensley did tweet that he is expected to be present for next week’s mandatory minicamp. Head coach John Harbaugh, Hensley added, “is sure Jackson will report in great shape.” Doing so would ease concerns related to his 2022 prospects, considering the time missed dating back to last season’s injury, and could quell some of the questions related to his long-term future with the team.