Lamar Jackson

QB Notes: Brady, Lamar, Rudolph, Falcons

June 3rd, 2022 at 3:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although it has been more than two months since Tom Brady‘s unretirement, the Buccaneers were connected to other quarterback options for a fairly lengthy stretch this winter. Brady retired on Feb. 1 and decided to come back March 13, the Sunday ahead of the 2022 league year’s outset. Shortly after Brady recommitted, the Bucs re-signed Ryan Jensen and Carlton Davis. Chris Godwin agreed to an extension, and Leonard Fournette returned to the fold. Outside additions like Russell Gage, Logan Ryan and Akiem Hicks have joined up as well, separating this offseason from 2021’s historic talent-retention effort. It is safe to say Tampa Bay’s free agency plan would have been different without Brady, who announced a return on that date despite being on the fence about playing again.

“You know at this stage, it’s like 55% yes and 45% no,” Brady said during an interview with TNT’s Ernie Johnson (via the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud) of his mid-March stance on playing a 23rd season. “That’s just the reality. It’s not that I’m not 100% committed; it’s just as soon as I make the commitment to do it, it’s like ‘Ugh. All right, here we go.’ It’s like running a marathon. You can’t decide two weeks before the marathon, ‘Hey, I’m going to start running.’

“We got right to free agency and I felt some pressure to do it and talked to the team and organization, and it all worked out.”

Brady’s decision almost certainly had an impact on the Bucs’ ensuing coaching change, and the 44-year-old passer has since signed a restructure agreement to help the Bucs add more talent this offseason. Here is the latest from the quarterback scene:

Lamar Jackson‘s second offseason of extension eligibility has been quieter than his first, and although the consensus thus far appears to be the Ravens quarterback will exit 2022 without a new deal, Albert Breer of SI.com envisions the parties coming to an agreement. Noting the trust between Jackson and the team remains strong, despite the QB’s OTAs absence and the three Ravens power brokers confirming the former MVP has not shown extension interest, Breer points to this and the fifth-year veteran’s desire to stay a Raven as reasons a deal will happen. Deshaun Watson‘s fully guaranteed deal undoubtedly complicates matters for the Ravens, who have Jackson on a $23MM cap number in his fifth-year option season.
With the Steelers likely to choose between Mitchell Trubisky and Kenny Pickett after the preseason, Mason Rudolph resides as an atypical third-string option. That points to the Steelers looking into trading their longtime backup, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic offers (subscription required). Unless Pickett proves unready to the point the Steelers need Rudolph as Trubisky’s backup, a trade before the team finalizes its 53-man roster could make sense. Rudolph signed a Steelers extension last year, before Trubisky and Pickett entered the equation. The Steelers would save $3MM by trading Rudolph, who is due for free agency in 2023.
The Falcons worked out multiyear Ball State starter Drew Plitt this week, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com tweets. Plitt worked as the Mid-American Conference program’s primary starter from 2019-21, piecing together a 59-19 touchdown pass-to-interception ratio in that time. The Falcons have 2021 UDFA Feleipe Franks as their third QB currently, alongside Marcus Mariota and third-rounder Desmond Ridder.

Lamar Jackson Absent From Ravens’ OTAs

May 25th, 2022 at 3:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

Lamar Jackson has been the source of much debate and speculation this offseason as a result of his contract situation. Another talking point has emerged, however, due to the fact that he is absent from the team’s OTAs.

As detailed by the Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec (subscription required), Jackson’s pattern of attendance for voluntary on-field work makes his decision to stay away from the team newsworthy. He also notes, however, the fact that the 25-year-old has already done private work with the team’s receivers this offseason. As a result, the team “maintain[s] they are fine with” the current situation.

When asked about the two-time Pro Bowler’s decision to stay away, head coach John Harbaugh said, “We’ve been down this road many times through the years” via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. “It’s not for me to speak for somebody else on that. It’s up to him to speak for himself on that.”

The Ravens have repeatedly tried to work out a long-term deal with Jackson, but his own willingness to do so is widely seen as the primary obstacle to an extension. He is due $23MM this season on the fifth-year option, and would be in line for sizeable raises in the two seasons after that through franchise tags, should the situation reach that point.

Jackson’s absence is further amplified by the fact that he missed the end of the 2021 campaign due to an ankle injury, and that the team has one of the least experienced receiving corps in the league. With little to no expectation that a contract will be forthcoming during the upcoming season, it is possible he remains absent until mandatory minicamp in June.

Latest On Lamar Jackson

May 20th, 2022 at 1:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

The 2022 offseason has seen plenty of headlines being made with respect to quarterbacks, but the lack of news regarding a few young signal-callers has stood out as well. That is the case with Lamar Jackson, who has at no point seemed on the verge of an extension with the Ravens.

A lucrative deal seemed like an inevitability when he first became eligible to sign one at the end of the 2020 season. Since then, however, the 25-year-old has signalled his desire to focus on the upcoming season rather than his long-term future. He will play out the 2022 campaign on the fifth-year option, which carries a value of $23MM.

The Ravens have, on a number of occasions, expressed their willingness to negotiate a deal. Acknowledging that Jackson himself has to be willing to enter into those discussions, though, this situation could end up remaining in a holding pattern until next offseason. Indeed, as CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora writes, “all parties seem resigned to the fact that a new deal is highly unlikely”.

Beside the financial parameters of any new contract – which would be heavily influenced, of course, by those recently signed by the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Deshaun Watson – another factor was entered into the equation last month when the Ravens traded Marquise Brown to the Cardinals. The loss of the team’s former top wideout (and close friend of Jackson’s) has some wondering what effect it could have on negotiations.

As a result, Jeff Howe of the Athletic writes that other teams are “monitoring the situation from afar”. While he adds that “there is no hint” of the former MVP becoming available now or in the future, this latest notable roster move adds even more intrigue to one of the league’s most unique ongoing contract sagas.

Chiefs, Packers Pursued Marquise Brown

April 29th, 2022 at 2:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Prior to the Cardinals acquiring Marquise Brown during the first round, the Ravens discussed the deep threat with the Chiefs and Packers, SI.com’s Howard Balzer tweets.

Given both contenders’ receiver moves this offseason, their involvement in these trade talks should not surprise. The Cardinals’ somewhat surprising offer — headlined by the No. 23 overall pick — won out, and neither the Chiefs nor Packers selected a wide receiver in the first round. Despite holding two first-rounders apiece, Green Bay and Kansas City enter Day 2 of the draft with needs at the position.

Although the teams’ market-shifting Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill trades had more of an impact on the A.J. Brown trade than the one involving the Baltimore wideout, the moves left the Chiefs and Packers in need. Kansas City does not appear to feature the same level of need as Green Bay, thanks to Marquez Valdes-Scantling‘s Missouri relocation, but the team was linked to a wideout move ahead of the draft. The Packers have done well with second-round receiver picks; perhaps this is the direction Green Bay goes Friday.

Lamar Jackson expressed frustration after the Brown trade commenced, but the former MVP knew about the latter’s trade request. Despite Jackson’s Twitter activity Thursday night, GM Eric DeCosta informed the star quarterback of the move before it happened, per Pro Football Focus’ Doug Kyed. Brown did as well, being at the Cardinals’ draft party Thursday night.

“It was just … my happiness,” Brown said during an appearance on the I Am Athlete Tonight podcast (via Pro Football Talk). “I talked to Lamar about it after my second year. And then after my third year, leading up to the end of the season, you know, [Jackson] wasn’t playing. I let him know again, like, ‘Yeah, bro, I can’t do it.’

“You know, it’s not really on Lamar, like I love Lamar. It was just, you know, it’s just the system just wasn’t for me personally. You know, I love all my teammates. I love the guys. It was just something I had to think about for myself.”

The Ravens’ run-heavy system has steered receivers (including Smith-Schuster) away in the past, and Brown’s exit leaves Baltimore with a bit of a need at the position. This reunites Brown with Oklahoma teammate Kyler Murray, a scenario Brown said the two discussed this winter (via 98.7 Arizona Sports’ Tyler Drake, on Twitter). Brown, who is coming off his first NFL 1,000-yard season, played a big role in Murray winning the 2018 Heisman Trophy. The 5-foot-9 target caught 75 passes for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore, catching the Ravens’ eye in the 2019 first round.

John Harbaugh Addresses Lamar Jackson’s Slow Pace Toward Extension

April 12th, 2022 at 5:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Ravens continue to put word out Lamar Jackson is not pursuing an extension. John Harbaugh said Tuesday no talks have occurred between the former MVP and the team since shortly after the season ended.

A recent report indicated Jackson was not planning to discuss a new deal until after the 2022 season wraps, and owner Steve Bisciotti‘s first comments about the state of the team in years centered on Jackson. Bisciotti broached the subject of a two-franchise tag future. That still seems too early to predict, and Jackson reiterated his happiness in Baltimore. But the team is ready to do a deal; its quarterback is not.

“We had a serious conversation at the end of the season with Lamar and [GM] Eric [DeCosta] and myself,” Harbaugh said during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show (via Pro Football Talk). “And he made it pretty clear where he was at with it and what he wanted to do this offseason, and that was really the last formal one we had.

“When he’s ready to do it, it’s going to become a priority for him, then we’re gonna know it, you know? It doesn’t have to be a priority for us right now. It’s got to be a priority for both sides. We can do something, or we can wait. Because we know it’s gonna get done when it’s supposed to get done.”

The three-time Pro Bowler is attached to a $23MM fifth-year option salary. An extension would help the Ravens by bringing that number down. Should this process progress to a franchise tag in 2023, that cap figure would become an issue for the team.

Jackson’s patience looks to be more of a gamble than Kirk Cousins‘ or Dak Prescott‘s, considering his unprecedented carry pace. Jackson’s 615 carries through four seasons are 148 more than any other quarterback in NFL history compiled to that point, with Cam Newton in second. Newton’s short prime could serve as a warning here, as it would seemingly behoove Jackson to cash in early. Of course, it is not known how far the Ravens are prepared to go financially. As of November, they were not ready to give Jackson a deal matching Patrick Mahomes‘ $45MM-per-year accord. The Deshaun Watson contract — averaging $46MM annually and coming fully guaranteed — may well have changed the game for star quarterbacks, complicating potential Ravens-Jackson talks.

Harbaugh has said several times Jackson would get paid. His first such comments on the matter came shortly after the 2020 season ended, when the longtime Baltimore HC expected a deal to be finalized either during the 2021 or ’22 offseasons. Jackson’s approach has clearly surprised the Ravens, as their owner, GM and head coach have confirmed he is not pursuing a new deal.

“I do believe Lamar when he tells me that, man, he just wants to be the best quarterback he can be, and that’s what he’s thinking about right now,” Harbaugh said. “He doesn’t think he has to think about his contract. He feels like he’s got time to do it. Yeah, you could argue that one way or the other. But everybody gets to make that decision for themselves. That’s a great thing. That’s his choice, not somebody else’s.”

If Jackson’s patience does pay off and he retains his elite value by the time he is ready to negotiate, the self-represented passer will do incredibly well for himself. But this saga does not appear set to conclude soon. This reaching the two-tag path represents the best bet as of now, OverTheCap’s Jason Fitzgerald posited recently (via The Athletic). That would mean Jackson putting extension talks off until at least 2025. It would easily be one of the boldest plays in NFL contract history.

Lamar Jackson Not Currently Focused On New Contract?

April 2nd, 2022 at 6:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

Much has been talked about recently regarding Lamar Jackson and the lack of traction on a new contract being worked on between him and the Ravens. As many have noted, the former MVP himself is seen as the main reason an extension doesn’t appear to be forthcoming in the immediate future.

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports that Jackson may not be eyeing a new deal at any point leading up to or during the upcoming campaign. As he writes, the 25-year-old “has told the Ravens that he’s currently too focused on having his best possible year and that he doesn’t want to do a deal until the 2022 season is over”. That would shed further light on the growing sense within the front office that a new contract isn’t on the horizon.

Adding to the comments recently made by owner Steve Bisciotti, Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network further details the perception of Jackson’s current priorities. The former’s thoughts on the matter echo the source Florio references above.

“It’s unique as hell because everybody expects you to say, ‘I’ve got to get mine now.’ The kid is so obsessed with winning a Super Bowl that I think, deep down, he doesn’t think he’s worthy” of a lucrative second contract, Bisciotti said. “I don’t think he is turned on by money that much, and he knows it’s coming one way or the other.”

Jackson made a public response to the speculation swirling around his future earlier this week. The two-time Pro Bowler is scheduled to make $23MM this year, and would be in line for sizeable raises after that if he were to play on the franchise tag. While it’s rare for franchise QBs to go that long without a long-term pact, Kirk Cousins represents a recent example of that being the case.

While the Ravens have repeatedly made it clear they are willing to put together a new contract whenever Jackson is ready to do so, putting a healthy return to the field and both individual and team success first would seem to be his top priority at this time. If that remains the case, one of the league’s most unique contract situations may remain in a holding pattern for quite some time.

Lamar Jackson: “I Love My Ravens”

March 30th, 2022 at 11:38am CST by Zachary Links

When it comes to his next contract, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens still have a ways to go. However, even though negotiations haven’t gained much momentum, the quarterback says that he remains committed to the only pro team he’s ever known.

“I love my Ravens,” Jackson tweeted on Wednesday. “I don’t know who the hell putting that false narrative out that I’m having thoughts about leaving stop tryna read my mind.”

Unlike other elite QBs, Jackson hasn’t been super aggressive in pushing for an extension. That’s why owner Steve Bisciotti isn’t so sure that Jackson will ink an extension between now and the fall.

“Unless he has a change of heart and calls Eric and says I’m ready. But it’s like, Eric can’t keep calling him and say, ‘Hey Lamar, you really need to get in here and get this thing done,’” Bisciotti said recently.

Jackson’s latest comments are consistent with what he’s said all along — he wants to stay in Baltimore and build towards a Super Bowl ring. The Ravens, meanwhile, could look towards the franchise tag to cuff him beyond his fifth year.

“Kirk Cousins did it that way. What if Lamar says that? I’ll play on the fifth-year, I’ll play on the franchise, I’ll play on another franchise and then you can sign me,” Bisciotti said. “That might be the case, but I don’t talk to Lamar. It’s not my role. I don’t know the answer.”

Cousins turned his prolonged drama with the Commanders into multiple franchise tagged season followed by record-breaking guarantees with the Vikings. If Jackson were to go that route (and perform as a top-tier QB) he could net an unprecedented fortune now that Deshaun Watson has signed a $230MM fully guaranteed contract.

Latest On Ravens’ Lamar Extension Effort

March 29th, 2022 at 6:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Employing a quarterback who has largely not pushed for an extension, the Ravens continue to move toward an unusual place. Speaking with reporters for the first time in years, Steve Bisciotti is not certain Lamar Jackson will be extended before the season starts.

The longtime Ravens owner put the ball in Jackson’s court, indicating the fifth-year passer has not gone to GM Eric DeCosta and said he wants to proceed seriously on an extension. Jackson has said he wants to be a Raven for the rest of his career, but the self-represented QB made those comments during the 2021 offseason. No momentum has emerged toward an extension, despite talks beginning in April of last year.

The Ravens not extending Jackson before his fourth season pushes him toward Dak Prescott and Kirk Cousins territory. The latter used two franchise tags as a path out of Washington. Jackson has a longer road to completing Cousins’ strategy, with the fifth-year option delaying a potential two-tag route. Although the Ravens’ contract-year QB would not make it to free agency until 2025 via the Cousins blueprint, Bisciotti offering up a Cousins comparison Tuesday is certainly notable.

“Kirk Cousins did it that way. What if Lamar says that? I’ll play on the fifth-year, I’ll play on the franchise, I’ll play on another franchise and then you can sign me,” Bisciotti said, via ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley. “And that gives me three years to win the Super Bowl so you can make me a $60MM quarterback, because that’s where it will be four years from now.

“That might be the case, but I don’t talk to Lamar. It’s not my role. I don’t know the answer.”

Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson contract has drawn scrutiny among owners and various personnel execs at this week’s meetings, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora notes. It may change the game for quarterbacks. Watson’s off-field issues did not stop the Browns from greenlighting a fully guaranteed $230MM contract. This will certainly come up in every quarterback’s negotiation for the foreseeable future.

Cousins saw his first Vikings contract fully guaranteed four years ago, but Watson’s guarantee dwarfs that three-year, $84MM deal. The Ravens might not be ready to follow the Browns’ new QB blueprint. Jackson, 24, is two years younger than Watson and has the former Texans QB matched in Pro Bowls, with three. The 2019 MVP award stands as a rather key bullet point on Jackson’s resume as well, though the run-centric signal-caller’s style injects more risk into this equation for both sides. The issue of longevity stands to be part of these talks.

“It’s like, ‘Damn, I wish they hadn’t guaranteed the whole contract.’ I don’t know that he should’ve been the first guy to get a fully guaranteed contract,” Bisciotti said, via Zrebiec (Twitter links). “To me, that’s something that is groundbreaking, and it’ll make negotiations harder with others. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that we have to play that game, you know? We shall see.”

Teams with franchise QBs on the extension radar — like the Cardinals, Broncos and Bengals — will be monitoring the Ravens’ Jackson actions. For what it’s worth, Harbaugh remains confident (video link) Jackson will be extended. The recently extended HC has expressed this confidence for over a year. No Jackson extension or restructure by Week 1 will mean he starts the season on a $23MM fifth-year option salary.

Lamar Jackson Holds Power In Negotiations

March 5th, 2022 at 7:59pm CST by Ely Allen

If you’ve been following the contract negotiation updates between the Ravens and star quarterback Lamar Jackson, you’ve been hearing about a young kid without proper representation lackadaisically going through “unusual” procedures. Well, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, those plugged into the situation believe Jackson is in far more control than has been illustrated.

Baltimore has reportedly presented offers to the 25 year-old focusing on term rather than annual average. Even so, long-term in this situation is being defined as five years or more. These long-term offers to Jackson apparently value in the realm of $35MM per year. In either respect, it doesn’t sound like the offers compare to those of fellow star quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes (10-year, $45MM aav) or Josh Allen (6-year, $43.01MM aav). General manager Eric DeCosta has repeatedly stated that, when Jackson wants to talk, he’s ready to work towards a deal.

Casual observers have frequently made comments that it would be much more prudent for Jackson to allow an agent to move forward with negotiations that could land him a deal worthy of his talents while allowing him to focus on his play. Jackson has confidence he can do both, and those casual observers may come to agree if they learn what Jackson is aiming for.

According to La Canfora’s sources, Jackson isn’t looking at Mahomes and Allen when thinking about his options moving forward, Jackson is looking at Vikings’ quarterback Kirk Cousins. Cousins, who is not considered on the same level as Mahomes, Allen, and Jackson, played out his rookie contract, played out two franchise tags, then captured a fully-guaranteed, three-year deal worth $84MM.

If Jackson follows this route, he is set to earn $23.02MM in the 2022 NFL season. This year’s franchise tag value for quarterbacks is set at $28.6MM. It will be adjusted, and likely increased, next year and the year after. Plus, when a player receives a franchise tag for the second year in a row, instead of getting paid the value of the tag, they are paid 120% of its value. So, to illustrate the inherent value there, if the franchise tag numbers were to stay the same over the next two years (they won’t), Jackson’s next three seasons would pay out $23.02MM, $28.6MM, and $34.32MM respectively. Following that, Jackson would be a former-MVP quarterback on the market before he turns 30, an extremely rare commodity.

If Cousins was able to leverage that situation into a three-year, $84MM deal, think what Jackson could earn. Jackson is obviously worth more than Cousins’ $28MM per year and over a short-term deal Jackson could net an even higher average still. Not to mention that every year, the market increases. With gambling money pouring in and record media deals paying dividends, NFL contracts continue to skyrocket. Cousins’ deal was made in 2018. In 2025, a top-tier quarterback may be able to earn up to $50MM per year if contract numbers continue to climb.

Allowing Lamar to carry those cap numbers over the next three years could truly hamper the Ravens’ ability to surround him with talent. The way Jackson sees it, he is betting on himself in the short-term but sees an opportunity to cash in either way. He has placed himself in an enviable position that tells Baltimore they don’t have to pay him what he’s asking for, but, if they don’t, it won’t do their cap space any favors.

Expect for Jackson to continue waiting patiently for a deal he can’t say “no” to. Until then, Jackson will continue to focus on his play. As long as he stays healthy and continues to perform at the level he’s shown he can, Jackson is due for a payday regardless of when a deal gets made.

Ravens GM: Lamar Jackson Not Actively Pursuing Extension

March 2nd, 2022 at 3:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Ravens have become the rare team to go four seasons with a star quarterback tied to a rookie contract. Lamar Jackson played the 2021 season for $1.8MM and is going into his fifth-year option season still attached to his 2018 rookie pact.

Ravens GM Eric DeCosta indicated the young quarterback has not been especially aggressive in pursuing an extension, one the team is ready to discuss.

“I think it takes two sides to actively put their heads together and get a deal worked out,” DeCosta said, via ESPN.com’s Jamison Hensley. “We are ready to be there for Lamar at any point when he decides that he really wants to work on it, we will be.”

Last month, DeCosta labeled these as unusual extension talks due to Jackson being without an agent. DeCosta has spoken with Jackson via text just once over the past month. The Ravens have gone from treating this extension as a formality in 2021 to being less certain here, Hensley adds, due to the lack of progress. John Harbaugh said back in January 2021 a Jackson extension would occur during the 2021 or ’22 offseasons. We are now on the back half of that timeline.

While Baker Mayfield joins Jackson as an un-extended 2018 first-round QB, Jackson resides on a different tier in terms of ability. Josh Allen landed his extension before the start of his fourth season, following many recent young QBs on that timetable.

By virtue of his accomplishments, Jackson’s cap number will spike from $3MM in 2021 to $23.1MM in 2022. The sides began negotiations in April of last year, and Jackson said last May he wanted to be a Raven for the rest of his career. He is positioned to approach Patrick Mahomes‘ $45MM-per-year accord, though this is rather an interesting negotiation due to Jackson’s skillset. Although other mobile quarterbacks have signed big-ticket extensions since Mahomes’ contract came to pass, none reside in Jackson’s league regarding run-game usage. That adds a key wrinkle here regarding the potential length of Jackson’s prime. Jackson’s 615 carries since 2018 pace the quarterback field by nearly 200 in that span, compiling that total despite not taking over as Baltimore’s starter until midway through his rookie year and missing five games in 2021.

The 2019 MVP has established himself as one of the NFL’s top QBs, though the Ravens were only able to win one playoff game during one of the best bargain periods in modern NFL history. Jackson will no longer reside as a bargain in 2022, and the Ravens will have the franchise tag at their disposal in 2023.

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