Latest On Ravens-Lamar Jackson Negotiations
With the Franchise Tag window open, the countdown is on to see how the Ravens and quarterback do Lamar Jackson are approaching the upcoming deadline. Your current situation is the result of many years of contract negotiations that have reached an impasse. 
Guaranteed money has long been reported as a sticking point between Baltimore’s front office and the 26-year-old, who has no agent. The Ravens’ top offer from last offseason included $133 million in guaranteed money, which would have ranked second in the league only to the Browns quarterback’s historic deal Deshaun Watson. Jackson, meanwhile, has repeatedly attempted to use that $230 million contract as the market value for his next pact.
A detailed report by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Jamison Hensley adds to this notion, stating that every counter offer Jackson has made to the Ravens so far have been fully guaranteed contracts that “surpassed Watson’s.” The latter received his massive endorsement after skipping the 2021 season in Houston and being the subject of a bidding war between multiple teams before the Browns gave the Texans a three-round first-round pick package to acquire him. Other QB additions in the league have since suggested the Watson deal is more of an outlier than the new norm.
That has left the two parties at a standoff, and the assumption that a franchise tag will either extend the negotiation period into the summer or perhaps open up the possibility of a tag-and-trade. Much will depend on whether or not the Ravens use the exclusive or non-exclusive tag, given the differences not only in value, but also in the involvement of other teams in influencing the negotiations. A decision on this must be made by March 7th at the latest.
Another key takeaway from the ESPN article is that it includes additional team sources who expressed surprise that Jackson missed the Ravens’ wildcard loss to the Bengals. The former MVP’s knee sprain cost him time to finish the regular season as well and he has been criticized from inside and outside the organization for his absence. This, along with his statistical results, has clouded his future since the 2019 campaign.
The rental of Death Monken as an offensive coordinator has led to expectations that the Ravens will throw the ball more than they did Gregory Roman. The former Buccaneers and Browns OC has made clear his intention to develop Jackson more as a passer, which would no doubt lead to improved performances individually and for the team should he find himself in Charm City in 2023.
ESPN’s Dianna Russini confirms what many have believed regarding contract talks tweets that Jackson will be advised by the NFLPA on this matter. While this doesn’t represent a direct replacement for an agent, it does allow the two-time Pro Bowler to gain assistance in negotiating the league’s next mega deal. However, something significant will likely need to happen to gain traction if a deal is about to close.