On Tuesday, the Baltimore Ravens placed their non-exclusive franchise tag on quarterback Lamar Jackson, which means he will be free to discuss a new contract with any team of his choice.
For many months now, he has been discussing a contract extension with the Ravens, but to no avail.
He reportedly has been demanding a deal in the area of $50 million a year that would be fully guaranteed, which is similar to the one Deshaun Watson received last spring after the Houston Texans traded him to the Cleveland Browns.
But as of now, there is little, if any interest in the 2019 NFL MVP.
One agent, Davis Mulugheta, wonders if the rest of the league is colluding against Jackson.
Sounds like collusion to me…. 🤷🏾♂️
—David Mulugheta (@DavidMulugheta) March 7, 2023
One oddity of this situation is the fact that Jackson doesn’t have an agent and has been negotiating directly with the Ravens without any representation.
He has been one of the league’s best dual-threat quarterbacks over the last four years, yet he isn’t considered an elite quarterback, mostly because he isn’t a very powerful threat as a passer.
During his MVP campaign, he threw for 3,127 yards and a league-best 36 touchdowns, but since then, he has failed to reach 3,000 passing yards in any season.
Jackson has also missed five games in each of the last two years due to injury, which has raised questions about his durability, especially given his style of play.
As it stands, if another team comes to terms with Jackson, they would have to give the Ravens two first-round draft picks as compensation.
That combined with the huge deal he is seeking would be a very steep price to pay for his services.
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NFL Insider Expresses Concern Over Lack Of Interest In Lamar Jackson