In an offseason in which a lot of quarterbacks changed teams and got paid, one particular quarterback in the AFC North that might be the best of the bunch was unable to strike a deal with his team Friday.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, the 2019 NFL MVP, had previously set a hard deadline of Friday to get a deal done with the Ravens, but according to a statement from Baltimore GM Eric DeCosta Friday morning, the organization and Jackson were unable to come to an agreement, shifting the attention to the 2022 season for both parties.
“Despite best efforts on both sides, we were unable to reach a contract extension with Lamar Jackson,” DeCosta said in a statement released by the team. “We greatly appreciate how he has handled this process and we are excited about our team with Lamar leading the way. We will continue to work towards a long-term contract after the season, but for now we are looking forward to a successful 2022 campaign.”
Jackson will play under his fifth-year option that will pay him $23.016 million. This year, three franchise quarterbacks have signed deals that have exceeded $165 million in guaranteed money, including Cleveland’s Deshaun Watson, Arizona’s Kyler Murray, and Denver’s Russell Wilson.
According to Pro Football Focus’s Brad Spielberger, an exclusive franchise tag for 2023, which Jackson could receive next offseason, would be $45.458 million, as of Friday. That means Jackson could earn around $100 million in 2023 and 2024 on the franchise tag, if no contract extension comes to pass, much in the same way Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott leaned on the tag to earn a ton of guaranteed money before signing a lucrative extension.
Jackson is representing himself in contract negotiations, so DeCosta and the Ravens can only speak with him regarding an extension, which led to Jackson setting a hard deadline of Friday so he can focus on football throughout the 2022 season.
