The Lamar Jackson offseason chronicles have just taken a turn for the worse for the Ravens front office. Jackson, who previously set a deadline for a contract agreement, reportedly is now upping his asking price for a contract, and this new contract request will be a huge decision for Baltimore to make.
Jackson recently told the Ravens that they have until the end of preseason for them to come to an agreement, or he will not be making any decisions until the offseason. The Ravens need to think fast and make a move regarding the 2019 MVP or they just might lose him.
Jackson, who is represented in negotiations by himself, reportedly has already been offered a contract worth more than the massive contract Kyler Murray received from the Arizona Cardinals. But even that amount of money cannot satisfy Jackson. No, the Louisville product wants a fully guaranteed contract similar to what new Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson received over the offseason, according to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer.
Though the Ravens will give Lamar everything but the kitchen sink to keep him as their franchise signal-caller, a fully guaranteed contract that will most likely be worth north of $250 million is a huge asking price.
Lamar Jackson has been offered more money than Kyler Murray, per @JayGlazer
Both sides can't agree on an extension because Jackson would like his contract fully guaranteed @brgridiron pic.twitter.com/jo3NxTKPvA
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 22, 2022
The Browns received a lot of flak for the contract they gave Watson, and the only other QB to receive a fully guaranteed contract besides Watson was Kirk Cousins, who signed a fully guaranteed contract on a much smaller scale worth only $84 million for three years.
So for Lamar Jackson to ask for a fully guaranteed contract is precarious to say the least. Though the electrifying QB is far ahead of Watson and Kirk Cousins regarding talent and reliability, he is still asking for a lot from Baltimore.
But considering the fact that he has not only won more than Watson and Murray, and that finding a franchise QB isn’t the easiest task in the world, Jackson definitely holds almost all the leverage in this negotiation.
Jackson, who will be playing out his fifth and last year of his rookie deal will be due $23 million in 2023. He’s looking for a significant pay raise, most likely more than Watson’s $46 million per.
At the end of the day, this whole negotiation comes down to Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta and whether he wants to give in to his superstar QB’s demands.
The Ravens can definitely pay him, but fully guaranteed contracts are huge risks in themselves. There are numerous things that can derail a star player’s career such as injury, off the field problems, or a substantial drop in performance.
But that’s the game for professional athletes, and because the next season isn’t promised, they’re taught to cash in as soon as possible. Jackson, the last pick of the first round in 2017, has already bet on himself. He’s ready to cash in off of what has been a stellar career for the 25-year-old so far. But if the Ravens don’t pay the man before Week 1, we could very well see Lamar in a different jersey next year.
