Lamar Jackson trade tracker: Latest news, rumors on Falcons, Raiders & more potential fits
The Ravens may have franchise-tagged Lamar Jackson, but his future with the franchise has never been more uncertain.
The franchise tag the Ravens put on Jackson was of the non-exclusive variety. That means Jackson can negotiate not only with the Ravens but also with other teams in the NFL.
The Ravens will have an opportunity to match any potential offer sheet Jackson signs, but it remains to be seen if they will be ready to do so. It may depend on the deal Jackson agrees to.
IYER: Ranking of Lamar Jackson’s best potential landing sites
Of course, it is also possible that an interested party could trade for Jackson. The Ravens could match an offer sheet with the express goal of trading him, or the team could agree to trade him to a team interested in signing him long-term.
To achieve the latter, Jackson would have to sign the franchise label before being traded. Then he would sign his new contract with the team taking over from him. That would spare the Ravens the dead cap burden of a sign-and-trade deal.
Either way, a trade is something that could be in Baltimore’s cards. Here are the latest Jackson rumors about potential buyers and talks about his availability.
MORE: Ranking the 7 best quarterback options for the Ravens if Lamar Jackson leaves
Lamar Jackson deals in rumours
Dolphins committed to Tua Tagovailoa will not attack Lamar Jackson
Date: Tuesday March 7th
Source: Jeff Darlington, ESPN
The Dolphins aren’t looking for a new quarterback, according to Darlington. They believe in Tagovailoa and will be happy to start it again in 2023.
Miami has Tagovailoa and Skylar Thompson on the quarterback roster, but they could still target an experienced backup to reassure the often-injured Tagovailoa. Many veteran quarterbacks are expected to be available in free agency, including Andy Dalton, Case Keenum and Jacoby Brissett.
Commanders “are unlikely to pursue” Lamar Jackson.
Date: Tuesday March 7th
Source: Kimberley A. Martin, ESPN
The Commanders become the fourth team rumored to be eliminated from the Lamar Jackson Sweepstakes. Martin reported that the team made sense on paper but wasn’t expected to target the Ravens quarterback.
Washington has expressed confidence that Sam Howell, a fifth-round pick in 2022 who started a game as a rookie, will have a chance to establish himself as a high-profile starter for the team. Still, they’re expected to target a veteran quarterback to compete with, but it doesn’t look like Jackson will be considered for the Commanders roster.
MORE: What it would cost for a team to sign Lamar Jackson
Panthers are not expected to be involved in Lamar Jackson sweepstakes
Date: Tuesday March 7th
Source: Joe Person, The Athlete
The Panthers are still searching for their ultimate replacement for Cam Newton, but are not expected to attack Jackson in such a capacity.
This comes as a surprise considering David Tepper’s Panthers have often been involved in trade talks for quarterbacks including Matthew Stafford and Deshaun Watson. They only have PJ Walker and Matt Corral at the quarterback position on their roster, but could be targeting another passer with No. 9 overall.
Raiders ‘very unlikely’ to target Lamar Jackson
Date: Tuesday March 7th
Source: Vincent Bonsignore, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Josh McDaniels said at the NFL Combine that the goal for the Raiders is “to have someone who’s going to stay here for a long time” as quarterback. Jackson would qualify as such, but the team is “very unlikely” to target him, according to Bonsignore.
The Raiders have the cap needed to target Jackson — $39.7 million, according to Spotrac.com — suggesting Las Vegas’ interest in the quarterback lies elsewhere. They only have Chase Garbers in their position, but they have the No. 7 pick overall in the 2023 NFL draft and have been linked to Aaron Rodgers and Jimmy Garoppolo in the rumor mill.
MORE: Robert Griffin III, JJ Watt sound off on NFL teams showing no interest in Lamar Jackson
Falcons have no plans to go after Lamar Jackson
Date: Tuesday March 7th
Source: Dianna Russini, ESPN
Just minutes after it was reported that Jackson would be hit with the non-exclusive franchise tag, Russini reported that the Falcons had no plans to pursue Jackson after he was hit with the tag. The Falcons have been linked to Jackson in the alleged sweepstakes more times than any other team, so their non-participation came as a surprise.
The Falcons only have two quarterbacks under contract for the 2023 NFL season — Desmond Ridder and Logan Woodside.