Lamar Jackson Contract Talks Reportedly Hit the Buffers
Image by Bruce Emmerling from Pixabay
The Baltimore Ravens’ impressive quarterback Lamar Jackson could be set for pastures new if contract extension talks continue to stall. If reports are to be believed, both parties remain “far apart” at the negotiation table, even though Baltimore is prepared to make Jackson one of the highest-paid NFL quarterbacks for the 2021 season.
This offseason period is one of the most pivotal in many a year for the Ravens. After a bitterly disappointing defeat in the postseason playoffs to Tennessee Titans, Baltimore need to be able to convince their most prized assets to commit to the team for the long-term and rebuild for next season. Undoubtedly, Lamar Jackson is one of those prized assets, having finished as the NFL’s MVP in 2019.
Within hours of their playoff campaign drawing to a close against the Titans, Baltimore ramped up their plans to offer Jackson a new long-term contract. There was clear positivity from both sides that a contract could be quickly concluded, allowing the franchise to focus on plugging gaps elsewhere in the roster. Unfortunately for both parties, a month into negotiations they appear no closer to putting pen to paper on a new deal.
Will the Ravens make a commitment to Jackson beyond 2022?
Ben Volin, reporter for the Boston Globe, believes they are “far apart” from reaching an agreement. Although the Ravens are desperate to tie Jackson down to a long-term arrangement, the stuttering negotiations underline the contractual issues that linger regarding draft selections. Jackson was picked 32nd in the NFL Draft in 2018. For this reason, Jackson’s salary cap is $3 million, with a $1.77m base salary set for next season. It will be somewhat more lucrative for Jackson in 2022, given that the CBA for rookie contracts enables the Ravens to take a fifth-year option and pay him a salary in line with the third-to-25th-highest-paid players in his position.
Of course, what Lamar Jackson will be paid in 2022 is still likely to be a drop in the ocean compared with what he could earn the following year. When you look at quarterbacks like Deshaun Watson and Dak Prescott earning multi-year deals worth $38 and $40 million respectively, you can see the ballpark that Baltimore will have to be working in at the negotiation table. Patrick Mahomes’ $500 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs underlines just how much franchises have to be prepared to pay top dollar to build their team around an MVP-quality quarterback.
Reports suggest that Jackson’s team are keen for him to be offered a considerable pay rise towards the end of his new deal, alongside a pay rise in the next two seasons. This wouldn’t leave the Ravens with much wriggle room to improve other areas of the team that badly need attention. Baltimore does have some form of protection over Jackson as an asset, given that they hold that all-important contract option.
Jackson needs more targets to aim at in 2021
Jackson failed to surpass the success of his 2019 MVP NFL season, although 2020 was by no means an unproductive campaign. He oversaw a regular-season record of 11-4 and threw 26 touchdown passes with only nine opposition interceptions. Although the Ravens lacked a powerhouse quarterback for around 20 years prior to landing Jackson in the draft, they do have other positions to review in the offseason.
It’s fair to say that while the Ravens have plenty in offense, they could do with some love in the receiver position. Baltimore have young pretenders in Mark Andrews and Marquise Brown, but they lack a receiver with the “X-Factor”. Can the Ravens ever think about winning the Lombardi Trophy with only a rock-solid passing attack and no dependable ball handler? Given that they are priced as sixth favorites in the Super Bowl LVI futures NFL betting market with FOX Bet at +1300, the view of sportsbook analysts would suggest not. Although previous Super Bowls of late have been more defensive affairs.
The Ravens could look to adopt the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ model with some veteran offseason recruits. Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown both came in to provide experienced, seasoned targets for Tom Brady and Lamar Jackson could certainly do with similar support. Off the field, the Ravens have two new offensive coaches in their backroom staff with Tee Martin a particularly interesting acquisition given his strong reputation for developing rookie wide receivers.