There is not much arguing that Lamar Jackson is one of the best players in the NFL. Back-to-back 1st Team All-Pro spots and two MVP awards at 27 years old tell you most of the story.

Some would say it is hard to put a price on his true value in comparison to what he actually makes.

And no team knows this more than his own Baltimore Ravens.

At this point in the Ravens’ offseason, most of the major roster construction has been done. With just a few chances left to sure up certain positions before heading to training camp, players’ contracts are the next big thing on the agenda.

In the case of Jackson, the majority expectation is that Baltimore’s front office wants to sign their franchise quarterback to a contract extension soon. This assures he stays in the purple and black while also compensating him to match his elite on-field prowess.

“The value is the top,” head coach John Harbaugh said earlier this offseason.

“When Lamar gets paid, he’s going to be the highest-paid player in football, just like he was last time. I think every contract he signs, probably until he decides to hang up his cleats, he’s going to be that guy.”

This week, however, the Ravens faced another road block in these efforts.

The San Francisco 49ers inked their franchise QB Brock Purdy to a contract that leapfrogs Jackson on the league’s highest-paid list by annual value.

Purdy – who was the very last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft – signed a five-year, $265 million contract with $181 million in guaranteed money. The $53 million per-year average is the seventh-richest in the league.

While the deal is nearly comparable to Jackson’s ($52 million) it drops the Ravens star down to 10th on that list.

This isn’t a competition about rank, because we already know Jackson will always play “greater” than his salary’s rank as long as he is outside the top-3-ish of that list. If he was chasing the top spot, he wouldn’t be competing with Purdy anyway.

But if we refer to Harbaugh’s claim, it sounds like Baltimore wants their guy the closest to the top as they can get him.

The player currently looking down at the group is Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who signed a contract last offseason that averages a staggering $60 million a season.

Jackson’s last extension came in 2023 (five-year, $260 million). Even though he is secure with Baltimore until after the 2027 season, it is becoming more and more common for teams to extend franchise cornerstones early into each contract – as long as they can afford it. This is almost certainly the case in 2025 with Lamar.

With the news of Purdy’s new deal, this could put pressure on the Ravens to get something done soon so they aren’t forced to pay more than expected after each quarterback contract that precedes Jackson’s.

The question isn’t if. It’s when, and how much.

Either way, it will be worth it.