Despite all the drama over the last few months between superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens, one top NFL insider believes a major move the team recently made should be seen as a clear sign that the QB expects to be playing in Baltimore next season.
The contract negotiations between Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens have been a top story in the league since even before last season got underway. Yet, in all that time there has been little progress made on a new deal and it’s why the team placed a franchise tag on their signal-caller to block him from becoming an unrestricted free agent this spring.
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With contract talks at an impasse for weeks and Jackson admitting recently that he asked to be traded last month, it seems more likely that the two-time Pro Bowler will either be in a different uniform next season or may sit out of the 2023 season waiting for a better long-term contract offer.
However, the organization’s biggest move of the offseason may indicate things could be in a better place between the QB and team than some might assume.
Over the weekend, the Baltimore Ravens inked free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to a one-year deal. The move was necessary to improve their offensive options for either Jackson or a different QB next season. However, a top league insider believes the acquisition signifies Jackson is more likely to play for Baltimore than not next season.
Baltimore Ravens record (2022): 10-7, second place in AFC North
During a Monday appearance on the NFL Network, NFL Media league insider Ian Rapoport explained why there are clear signs that indicate the Beckham Jr. signing nearly guarantees Jackson will be suiting up for the Ravens in 2023.
“It was pretty clear during this entire process that if Odell Beckham Jr. was going to sign with the Ravens, he was going to do so knowing and believing that Lamar Jackson was going to be his quarterback. So it was no accident that within minutes of the agreement in terms between OBJ and Baltimore Ravens, Lamar Jackson posted to Instagram that the two had actually been face-timing.
“My understanding is that Lamar Jackson helped recruit Odell. Doing so with the thought of, ‘Hey, I’m probably almost certainly going to be your quarterback. ‘ I don’t get the sense anything is close. Baltimore has tried several different ways to lock in a deal. Despite the fact that Lamar Jackson has publicly said he would like to be traded, all of this is done with the belief that Lamar will somehow [or] someway be the Ravens quarterback in 2023.”
– Ian Rapoport
The QB — who represents himself — and the Baltimore Ravens are reportedly still far apart on contract terms as he looks for a historic sum in guaranteed money in a new deal.