Former NFL MVP Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens don’t appear to be any closer to a long-term contract extension with the stud quarterback entering the final year of his rookie deal.
Jackson, 25, is set to earn a base salary of $23.02 million in 2022 after Baltimore picked up the option for the final year of his rookie deal.
With the two sides unable to come to terms on an extension ahead of last season, things are not trending in that direction right now.
Ravens general mananger Eric DeCosta spoke to the media from the NFL Scouting Combine on Wednesday, pretty much putting the ball in Jackson’s court in the process.
“I think it takes two sides to actively put their heads together and get a deal worked out. 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.”
Ravens GM on Lamar Jackson contract situation, via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley
Jackson is an interesting case study in that he has no agent representing him in contract talks with the Ravens. Rather, his mother is handling these dicussions. That’s a questionable decision on the part of the former first-round pick.
Another interesting backdrop here includes the ever-evolving quarterback market and the fact that Jackson could wait until later in the offseason when the market resets itself. Los Angeles Rams star quarterback Matthew Stafford and two-time reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers are both in for big pay days here soon.
All of this leads us to believe that a blockbuster trade sending Jackson from Maryland is not completely out of the cards. Here’s three reasons why.
Related: NFL’s highest-paid quarterbacks of 2022
Lamar Jackson contract and fair-market value
Spotrac projects Jackson’s new deal to be worth north of $43 million annually. That would make him the second highest-paid player in the NFL behind Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, just ahead of Josh Allen in the pecking order.
Perhaps, Jackson wants to wait to see how the Rodgers situation plays out with Green Bay. Whether it’s with the Packers or another team, Rodgers is likely looking at a deal that will surpass Mahomes’ $45 million average annual salary. If Rodgers earns the $50 million he is reportedly seeking, that will obviously have an impact on Jackson.
The question here is whether Baltimore finds it in its best interest to pay out that type of cash to Jackson. The team is currently $9.8 million under the 2022 NFL salary cap when taking into account Jackson’s $23.02 million hit.
The team is also coming off its first non-playoff season since before Jackson’s arrival and has some major roster decisions to make moving forward.
Related: Lamar Jackson and other NFL players in line for huge extensions
Baltimore Ravens would net massive return for Lamar Jackson, create roster flexibility
There were some whispers that Baltimore was considering trading Jackson ahead of the 2021 season. The idea here was for the team to avoid paying him on a huge long-term contract while replacing the talented signal caller with a rookie under his rookie deal.
From a financial perspective, there’s something to be said about this. Just look at how the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs entered Super Bowl contention status with quarterbacks under their rookie deals.
The NFL exists under a hard cap. Having a capable and cheap quarterback can give a team a competitive advantage. It’s what the San Francisco 49ers are looking to do in moving off Jimmy Garoppolo for Trey Lance.
While there’s some major risk to this, the potential reward might be too hard to pass up on. Jackson is still only 25 years old. He’s a former NFL MVP. He’s a dynamic weapon.
There’s not a limited number of teams who would offer up three first-round selections, players and other draft pick compensation to acquire him. That’s the reported asking price from the Houston Texans for Deshaun Watson. Without the same legal issues off the field, an argument can be made that Jackson would net even more in return.
Related: Sportsnaut’s updated NFL trade rumors
Lamar Jackson has seen a downtick in production
There’s not a single objective mind out there who doesn’t believe Jackson is a franchise quarterback. With that said, we’ve seen a regression in his game since the former Louisville standout earned the NFL MVP following the 2019 season. This isn’t debatable.
Lamar Jackson stats past three seasons
| Year | Comp % | Passing Yds | Rushing | TD | INT | Rating |
| 2019 | 66.1 | 3,127 | 1,206 | 43 | 6 | 113.3 |
| 2020 | 64.4 | 2,757 | 1,005 | 33 | 9 | 99.3 |
| 2021 | 64.4 | 2,882 | 767 | 18 | 13 | 87.0 |
Excuses can be made to cover up Jackson’s struggles a season ago. Injuries hampered him. He also missed a game due to COVID-19.
With that said, teams generally want to see their star quarterbacks on an upward trajectory when signing them to franchise-altering contract extensions. Jackson has not been on that trajectory since his MVP season.
None of this is to say that Baltimore should trade Jackson. None of this is to say that Baltimore will trade Jackson.
However, it’s not as unlikely as it was this time last year. And if this contract situation draws on further, it will become even more likely.