Last offseason, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson hit free agency, and while he was one of the top players in football, he didn’t generate a whole lot of public interest.
However, just because teams did not publicly express their interest in Jackson does not mean that they weren’t intrigued by the possibility of signing him.
An NFL executive told Mike Sando of The Athletic that there was plenty of interest in Jackson and that clubs were just wary about the contract he wanted.
“Everybody was interested in the player,” the executive said. “They were not interested in the package. Because he was so vociferous about getting that guaranteed deal, those franchises made it clear, there is nothing to talk about. It wasn’t until Baltimore convinced him to take the non-guaranteed contract that the Ravens got a deal done.”
Jackson ended up signing a five-year, $260 million deal to remain with the Ravens. He landed $185 million in guarantees, which, given his checkered injury history, was a deterrent to other franchises.
Plus, the 26-year-old was coming off of a couple of disappointing seasons in 2021 and 2022, where he amassed a grand total of 33 passing touchdowns and 20 interceptions.
Of course, Jackson has rebounded in a big way this year, as he threw for 3,678 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven picks while completing 67.2 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 102.7 during the regular season. In addition, he rushed for 821 yards and five scores.
Most importantly, Jackson was dominant in Baltimore’s Divisional Round playoff win over the Houston Texans, going 16-for-22 with 152 yards and a couple of touchdowns while carrying the ball 11 times for 100 yards and a pair of scores.
It seems safe to say that Lamar Jackson has been worth the investment for the Ravens.
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