The Las Vegas Raiders entered the 2023 NFL offseason determined to move on from Derek Carr, with dreams of signing Tom Brady only to land Jimmy Garoppolo. However, the Raiders were reportedly one of very few NFL teams that checked in on Lamar Jackson in NFL free agency.
After failing to agree to terms on a long-term contract extension, Baltimore placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson. It meant that any other team could sign Jackson to an offer sheet, making him one of the highest-paid NFL players ever
- Lamar Jackson stats 2023: 3,357 pass yards, 19-7 TD-INT, 97.2 QB rating, 66.3% completion rate, 7.7 yards per attempt, 787 rushing yards, 5.5 yards per carry, 5 rushing touchdowns
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Signing Jackson to an offer sheet would’ve forced Baltimore to make a decision. It either allowed another team to land Jackson and in exchange received two first-round picks or matched the offer, which was likely structured to be as difficult as possible for Baltimore to match.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Raiders inquired about Jackson’s availability this spring after the Ravens placed the non-exclusive tag on him. Landing Jackson would’ve cost Las Vegas first-round picks in 2023 and 2024, but owner Mark Davis looked into the possibility.
However, per Schefter, the Raiders were never “overly aggressive” in their pursuit to sign Jackson. While Las Vegas did have interest in the MVP quarterback, it never came close to even signing him to an offer sheet that would’ve required the Ravens to match it.
Instead, Las Vegas kept its draft picks and rolled with Garoppolo and rookie Aidan O’Connell. The decision hasn’t worked out, with Garoppolo likely off the team in 2024 and O’Connell proving to be nothing more than a backup.
As for Jackson, he’s leading the NFL MVP race with the Ravens dominating the AFC heading into NFL games today. Considering how well the Raiders’ defense has performed this year, fans can only imagine how good the team could’ve been with Jackson, Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs.
