The Baltimore Ravens placed their non-exclusive franchise tag on quarterback Lamar Jackson on Tuesday, which will keep him in the fold but allow him to negotiate a new contract with any team he chooses.
One may think a QB who is a former league MVP and has run for over 750 yards in each of the last four seasons would garner a good amount of interest across the NFL, but that hasn’t been the case.
NFL insider Ari Meirov feels this situation is concerning, and he even said the NFL Players Association will want to know what is going on.
NFLPA will more than likely have questions about what’s happening. Multiple teams pursued Deshaun Watson (and his situation) last offseason and the compensation to get him was more (three 1s vs. two 1s here).
Again: It costs nothing to talk to him. Find out what he even wants. https://t.co/3WxRM70thq
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 7, 2023
Ever since he was named league MVP in 2019, which was only his second season in the league, Jackson has been one of the game’s premier dual-threat signal-callers.
That season, he logged 3,127 passing yards and 36 passing touchdowns while leading Baltimore to a 14-2 record.
But his production as a passer has declined ever since, and in 2022 he managed just 17 passing touchdowns while completing only 62.3 percent of his passes, which was a career-low.
Jackson has been to the playoffs three times in five years, but he has won just one postseason contest.
Then there is his injury history, which is starting to become a concern.
He has missed five games in each of the last two seasons with a sprained PCL and ankle injury, respectively, and durability is always a concern for QBs who play the way he does.
Jackson has been rumored to be looking for a deal in the realm of $50 million a year that will be fully guaranteed.
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NFL Insider Reveals 5 Teams That Will Not Pursue Lamar Jackson