Andrew Buller-Russ
Before NFL free agency can officially begin on March 15, the Baltimore Ravens face a much bigger deadline with Lamar Jackson. General manager Eric DeCosta has until Tuesday at 4 PM ET to decide whether to place the franchise or non-exclusive tag on the 2019 NFL MVP.
Yet, if you’re the Ravens, the ultimate goal is getting their franchise player under contract for multiple seasons instead of just one. Only, they’ve been working toward that same goal since the start of last season, when Jackson became eligible to sign a long-term extension. Clearly, doing so is much easier said than done.
The belief is that Jackson, who operates as his own player agent in contract negotiations, receiving help from his mother, wants a fully (or nearly fully) guaranteed contract. Only the sense is that the Ravens have their own concerns about agreeing to such a deal, with Jackson having missed five games in each of the past two years, having never played an entire season in the NFL.
One alternative solution NBC’s Peter King came up with was to sign Jackson to the fully-guaranteed contract he may be seeking but only commit to a few years instead of, say, five.
This would lessen the blow should Jackson’s durability concerns continue. The last thing the Ravens want is to be stuck paying Jackson a large portion of their salary cap years down the line if he can’t be on the field leading his team into the playoffs.
If Jackson wants to bet on himself, this would allow him to re-enter the market in just a few years, securing another massive contract with the NFL’s salary cap likely to continue soaring as the league’s TV deals begin generating more revenue.
Jackson is still 26 years old, which means if he does sign a shorter extension, he’d be in line for another big contract later on. Of course, that would mean he’d have to stay healthy, proving his value on the field instead of sitting on the sidelines.
King’s idea may be a different solution, but it could be a solution nonetheless. If you’re the Ravens, why not? Yet, the ball is in Jackson’s court. He may prefer long-term security. Until or unless we hear from the Ravens superstar himself, we can only speculate what he actually wants.
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