The chances that quarterback Lamar Jackson will somehow remain a member of the Baltimore Ravens for years to come seems slim to none.
He has been retained for now on the team’s non-exclusive franchise tag, which allows him to freely negotiate the terms of a potential new contract with a team of his choice, and if the Ravens choose not to match, they will receive two first- round draft picks as compensation.
This week, the team signed three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to a one-year, $15 million contract, which seems a bit ludicrous given he is coming off two torn ACLs that he suffered less than 18 months apart.
Between that signing and Jackson’s situation, NFL insider Adam Schein feels that unless Jackson gets the big contract he has been demanding for many months, he will not stay in Baltimore.
“Unless they’re gonna pay Lamar [Jackson] what he wants, why would anyone think he’s coming back?! If he’s coming back on a franchise tag…why does anyone think that’s gonna work?!”
—@AdamSchein 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/YkndeDNSON
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) April 13, 2023
He has reportedly been demanding the type of contract Deshaun Watson got from the Cleveland Browns last year, which was worth $230 million in fully-guaranteed money over five years.
It seems to be one reason why there is reportedly no interest in Jackson across the rest of the NFL.
Another reason is his durability—he has missed five games in each of the last two seasons due to injury, and durability is always a concern for dual-threat QBs such as him.
Jackson won the league MVP in 2019 when he put together a virtuoso season, but his production as a passer has failed considerably since, and he completed a career-low 62.3 percent of his passes in 2022.
NEXT:
The Ravens Reportedly Tried To Trade For 1 WR Before Signing OBJ
