The clock is ticking for the Baltimore Ravens and their star quarterback, Lamar Jackson! A new contract is on the horizon, and the stakes are high. Five years and a whopping $287 million could be the magic formula, but the path to a deal is far from simple.
The Ravens' owner, Steve Bisciotti, is keen to lock Jackson in long-term, ideally before free agency kicks off. While the idea seems straightforward, the last negotiation round proved to be a real battle.
Back in early 2023, after months of back-and-forth, the Ravens put a five-year, $262.5 million offer on the table. This deal made Jackson the highest-paid player in the league at the time, with an average of $52.5 million annually.
But here's where it gets controversial... The financial landscape has shifted since then. The quarterback market has surged, with some players now commanding around $60 million per year. The Ravens likely want to surpass Dak Prescott's current earnings.
Jackson's current contract has two years and $104 million remaining. To reach an average of $61 million per year, the Ravens would need to offer a three-year extension worth $183 million.
However, NFL contracts don't work like traditional extensions. The existing deal gets replaced. So, with $104 million still on the table, the Ravens could propose a five-year, $287 million deal. This would push the average to $61 million, even though the actual average from the signing would be $57.4 million.
The structure of the deal is crucial. Jackson received a signing bonus of $72.5 million in the past. If he gets $80 million upfront in a new deal, his cap number, along with a minimum salary of $1.3 million, would be $17.3 million, plus $22.5 million from his previous contract in 2026. This totals $39.8 million, freeing up $34.7 million in cap space before the 2026 free agency.
And this is the part most people miss... The Ravens and Jackson will also need to decide how much of the new contract is guaranteed. In 2023, Jackson wanted all five years fully guaranteed, but settled for three years.
In essence, there's a clear path to getting Jackson under contract for another five years, making him the highest-paid quarterback again (based on the new-money concept), and fully guaranteeing his pay in 2026, 2027, and 2028.
The big question is: Does Jackson want to earn just a bit more than Prescott, or does he want to set an even higher bar? The higher Jackson aims, the more complex the negotiations will become.
If all else fails, the Ravens can restructure the deal, as Bisciotti mentioned, delaying the financial impact.
Ultimately, the Ravens will face significant cap charges when their relationship with Jackson ends. For now, they have him under contract for two more years. After that, he'll be a free agent due to a no-tag clause in his deal.
What do you think? Will Jackson and the Ravens strike a deal that satisfies both sides? Will Jackson push for a record-breaking contract? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
