During a Monday morning thoughts and information dump on Twitter, Baltimore Ravens superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson claims he formally asked for a trade earlier this month and offered up a farewell to Ravens fans.
The Lamar Jackson and Baltimore Ravens contract negotiations saga has gone on for nearly a year, and the two sides have had little to no progress. The crux of the divide centers on rumors that the 26-year-old star is looking for a record-breaking deal with massive guarantees, and the organization that selected him with the 32nd pick overall in the 2018 NFL Draft is not comfortable with such a pact.
Related: Rumors persist that Indianapolis Colts could target Lamar Jackson in April
Earlier this month, the organization slapped a non-exclusive franchise tag on the two-time Pro Bowler so that they can hold on to Jackson for at least one more season while they try to hammer out a new long-term deal. However, with discussions reportedly going nowhere with the QB steadfast in his belief in his value, it seems he formally asked for a trade from the team he has played for during his five-year NFL career.
On Monday, Lamar Jackson took to his Twitter account to thank his 1.1 million followers and let them know that they should “not believe everything you read about me. Let me personally answer your questions.”
Lamar Jackson stats (2022): 3,006 total yards, 20 total TD, 7 INT, 91.1 QB rating
After that tweet, he followed up with a bombshell revelation about the recent conversations between him and the Baltimore Ravens.
“In regard to my future plans. As of March 2nd, I requested a trade from the Ravens organization for which the Ravens have not been interested in meeting my value, any and everyone that’s has met me or been around me know I love the game of football and my dream is to help a team win the super bowl.”
– Lamar Jackson
After the revelation of the trade request, Lamar Jackson continued by saying goodbye to Ravens fans.
“You all are great but I had to make a business decision that was best for my family and me. No matter how far I go or where my career takes me, I’ll continue to be close to my fans of Baltimore Flock nation and the entire State of Maryland. You’ll See me again.”
It will be interesting to see how the Ravens and any teams potentially interested in acquiring him respond to the tweets. Jackson is contractually obligated to play for the organization for one more season. However, this seems to indicate that he is willing to sit out the 2023 season as he awaits a trade or the organization comes back to the table with an offer more to his liking.