Baltimore Ravens News & Rumors

The Ravens’ season came to an end last night, but there remains a major storyline which is likely to surround the franchise well into the offseason. Quarterback Lamar Jackson was absent from the game against the Bengals, and his latest comments on his contract status have added further to the speculation regarding his future.

The 26-year-old suffered a PCL sprain in Week 13 and was immediately believed to be facing a multi-week absence. His prognosis changed over time, however, and with each passing week at the end of the regular season it became increasingly noteworthy that he did not return to the lineup. Not long after he personally provided an update on the status of his injured knee (including, specifically, the matter of swelling not reducing as hoped), he was ruled out for the wild-card round. He did not travel with the Ravens to Cincinnati.

That stood in contrast to what the team had hoped with respect to Jackson’s recovery timeline and invited plenty of questions concerning the former MVP’s willingness to return to action as the offseason — and, therefore, the latest round of contract negotiations — approached. In response to public backlash and reports of internal frustration on the matter, the Ravens made it clear they remain “all-in” on committing to him on a long-term deal. Such a move clearly remains the target from Jackson’s perspective.

“When you have something good,” he said in an Instagram post, “you don’t play with it. You don’t take chances losing it. You don’t neglect it. When you have something good, you pour into it. You appreciate it. Because when you take care of something good, that good thing takes care of you too” (h/t Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).

Those comments can certainly be construed as a less-than-subtle directive to Baltimore’s front office, which has been in talks with the agent-less signal-caller on and off for multiple offseasons. The matter of guarantees has long been known to be the sticking point in contract talks, with the historic Deshaun Watson deal (five years, $230MM fully guaranteed) representing precedent for a similar mega-extension, though the summer’s other QB deals pointed to the market heading in a different direction.

Jackson is scheduled to hit free agency for the first time when his rookie contract expires in March, but Baltimore is expected to use the franchise tag on him to prevent his departure. With the drama surrounding this situation suggesting a long-term deal may not be likely, the central question could become which tag (exclusive or non-exclusive) the Ravens use. The former would carry a substantial one-year cap burden, while the latter would open the door to an offer sheet coming into play.

With the Ravens now turning their attention to an evaluation of their offense – one which was far less productive during Jackson’s absence – the matter of his contract will dominate headlines for weeks to come.

Despite growing frustration in Baltimore surrounding Lamar Jackson‘s PCL injury, the Ravens are still interested in a long-term pact with their franchise quarterback. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports that the organization’s stance on their quarterback hasn’t changed, and whenever the season ends, the front office plans to “begin negotiating with Jackson with hopes of striking a long-term deal.”

[RELATED: Lamar Jackson To Miss Wild-Card Game]

A source told Rapoport that the Ravens are “still all in” on Jackson, even “despite the disappointment with Jackson not being able to play in the first round.” While the team made significant progress on negotiations before the 2022 season, Jackson ended up playing out this season on his $23MM fifth-year option. The former MVP has reportedly been eyeing a Deshaun Watson-like deal.

Sources told Rapoport that the franchise tag is still the most likely scenario. However, it’s uncertain whether the organization would hit Jackson with the standard franchise tag (allowing him to negotiate with other teams while promising compensation if he leaves) or the exclusive tag (which provides exclusive negotiations but with a higher tag price).

Jackson hasn’t seen the field since early December while he’s continued to recover from a PCL injury. Rapoport observes that “Jackson would be at minimal risk of reinjury if he played” tomorrow against the Bengals, although the QB clarified this week that he’s not playing because he’s still not at 100-percent health. Last year, Jackson missed the Ravens’ lone playoff game while dealing with a bone bruise in his ankle. We could end up seeing a similar scenario this year, leading to some natural frustrations within the organization.

Yesterday, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com wrote that the “powers-that-be” are “becoming frustrated to the point of exasperated with Jackson’s inability (or unwillingness) to play.” Veteran Sammy Watkins also had some strong words about his quarterback, saying that “everybody is pretty much banged up” at this point of the season. The wide receiver also seemed to question how Jackson’s impending free agency has played into his absence.

“I think the world is ready to see Lamar back on the field, doing what he do best, and get all the stipulations and contract stuff behind him,” Watkins said (via Florio). “I pray somebody talks to him like, ‘Man, just sign the deal.’ You know what I mean? And he get out there and hopefully, if . . . he’s healthy, he can just come play this Sunday. We all know that’s up to Lamar and whatever goes on. Hopefully, they get something done. The world wants to see Lamar be a Baltimore Raven for the rest of his life. . . . [T]he world wants to watch Lamar Jackson. That’s a phenom talent, a talent that you rarely come by. Things that he do on the field and things that you see, to be quite honest when he’s out there, he makes everybody play better, just to have him in that huddle. I pray that somebody reach out to him or that he’s really truly getting healthy and can play, that he wake up Thursday and be like, ‘All right, forget it. I’m playing.’ I think that would change the whole trajectory of our season.”