The Ravens very clearly wanted to sign QB Lamar Jackson to a contract extension before the new league year. They failed, but what happens next? Jackson is in the final year of his contract, and he has a no-tag clause in his current deal. If Baltimore allows him to go unsigned into next season, he could hit free agency.
A two-time league MVP, Lamar Jackson is one of the great talents in today’s game. The fact remains, however, that they have yet to win multiple playoff games in a season with him. This offseason, they fired HC John Harbaugh because of that, but can Jesse Minter better that?
And is Lamar Jackson the answer for them? How much are they willing to pay to find out? With the new league year already upon us, the urgency for a contract extension for Jackson is diminished. Because they couldn’t get it done, they instead restructured his deal to create cap space. But the clock is already ticking for next year.
“We kind of ran out of time, and we were able to free up I think just under 40 million this year [and] added a void year to 2030, I believe”, Ravens GM Eric DeCosta explained about the organization’s failure to complete a contract extension with Lamar Jackson in the time they had planned. “I am certainly hopeful that we’ll get an extension done. I think it’s important to both parties, but we remain to see what’s going to take place in the future”.
It is slightly odd, however, for a general manager to talk about being “hopeful” of his franchise quarterback signing an extension. The Ravens nearly allowed Jackson to escape last year, forced to place the franchise tag on him in 2023. After further negotiations, they made him, briefly, the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history.
But as part of that new deal, a five-year, $260 million contract, Lamar Jackson won a no-tag clause. In case it’s not obvious what that means, the Ravens can’t place the franchise or transition tag on Jackson next year. Which means they can’t stop him from reaching free agency if he chooses to.
And it is choice, because, at least as of now, he is still representing himself. Jackson’s self-representation was a complicating factor in his first contract, and it would appear that it still is. He still managed to land a representative contract, though.
But what’s next, for both sides? I don’t think the Ravens want to start over at quarterback, but are they wondering whether they are already near their ceiling with Lamar Jackson? Is Jackson wondering the same of the Ravens?