Just two years after signing a record-breaking extension, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is already involved in contract discussions once again.
Head coach John Harbaugh confirmed those behind-the-scenes discussions the NFL Owners meeting last month, immediately sparking discussion among fans and pundits alike.
“There has been conversations about that internally, I know,” Harbaugh told reporters on March 31. “How far along that is or whatever, I don’t know, but I definitely think it’s an obvious point that you’re making. That’s going to continue to have to be addressed, really with all those guys. You just have to kind of manage that dance – the salary cap dance – and Lamar [Jackson] is the main part of that, because he’s the franchise player. That’s a possibility. Sooner or later, that’s definitely going to have to happen.”
Of course, Jackson still has three years remaining on the five-year, $260 million deal he signed in 2023. The practice of extending players with multiple years left on their deals has become more common, with teams either adding years onto the existing deal or outright replacing it, but it’s still quite controversial.
However, ESPN’s Adam Schefter not only believes that the Ravens extending Jackson now makes sense, but that it’s a “no-brainer.”
“When you have a franchise quarterback, it’s like having a bank you can always borrow against,” Schefter told the Baltimore Sun. “We see it all the time with all these other great quarterbacks.”
Additionally, Schefter laid out a potential timeline for the Ravens to get a deal done. While it may not be in the immediate future, he expects Jackson to have a new/revised deal by the time he takes the field in September.
“I’m sure at some point before the start of the season — no rush — the Ravens will probably address Lamar’s contract situation,” Schefter said. “If you can get his contract redone, make him happier and it’s not putting the organization at financial risk, which it wouldn’t, then you get that done, and that’s what I expect that they’ll do.”
Jackson makes an average of $52 million per year on his current deal, which places him ninth among quarterbacks. The current highest-paid player in football is Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott at $60 million, and it wouldn’t come as much a surprise if Jackson surpasses that number.
