The Baltimore Ravens made a big push to get quarterback Lamar Jackson signed to a long-term deal worth up to $290 million, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen.
Jackson was offered a six-year extension that included $133 million in fully guaranteed money and would have included a higher average annual value than what fellow QBs Kyler Murray ($46.1M) and Russell Wilson ($49M) earn.
Unfortunately, Jackson was looking to earn more than the $230 million guaranteed Deshaun Watson got from the Cleveland Browns.
Jackson is choosing to represent himself and set a deadline to have a deal done by Sept. 9 to avoid having talks happen during the season.
“Despite best efforts on both sides, we were unable to reach a contract extension with Lamar Jackson,” Baltimore general manager Eric DeCosta said in a statement. “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 skipped voluntary OTAs this past off-season but did not hold out of mandatory practices. Baltimore can use the franchise tag to keep him after this season if need be, but this impasse between Jackson and the team is noteworthy after Josh Allen — another star quarterback drafted the same year as Jackson — signed his massive extension with the Buffalo Bills some 13 months ago.
“Those things will work themselves out in the end. I’m confident in that,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said at the team's practice facility in Owings Mills, Maryland. “I said at the beginning that it will happen when it’s time, and when it’s time, it will happen. So, Lamar is playing quarterback, he’s going to be playing quarterback here for a long time.”
Jackson is on his fully guaranteed fifth-year option this season, earning $23.02 million. After the season, he faces the first of two franchise tags, with the non-exclusive tag equaling $29.7 million and the exclusive tag $45.5 million (both figures are expected to change each season).
