With the fever pitch of free agency now behind us, all of the focus in the football world has shifted to Lamar Jackson. What will the former MVP, who had the non-exclusive franchise tag placed on him by the Baltimore Ravens, do?
Right now, the answer is probably nothing. The Ravens are in no rush to work out a long-term deal as the ball is in Lamar Jackson’s court to find an answer sheet. With teams preparing for the 2023 NFL Draft, it could be a few more weeks until his market really starts to heat up.
Currently, the Indianapolis Colts are the only franchise that has come out and said that they would consider making a move for Lamar Jackson. Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank was critical of his injury history, so you can probably cross the Falcons off as a suitor.
The New York Jets also won’t be pursuing him as they are focused on acquiring Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers. General manager Joe Douglas said the team will negotiate in good faith and not use Lamar Jackson to create leverage. The Washington Commanders would also make sense as a landing spot but are committed to Sam Howell as their starter.
What could be the reason that so many quarterback-needy teams don’t want to pursue a 26-year-old former MVP that has won 45 out of the 61 games he has started in his career? Money could certainly play a part.
Teams are hesitant to commit a fully guaranteed contract to any player after the Deshaun Watson debacle, let alone one that has ended the last two seasons on the sideline with injuries. However, a fully-guaranteed deal isn’t what Lamar Jackson is seeking. Instead, he just wants to surpass the guaranteed money that Watson landed with his deal.
Watson received $230 million in guaranteed money from the Cleveland Browns after they acquired him in a trade with the Houston Texans. That is the number Lamar Jackson wants to top and it is hard to argue against him.
His resume and production far exceed what players such as Watson and Kyler Murray have accomplished and they both signed monster extensions. For Lamar Jackson, it isn’t about securing as much money as possible for himself, but setting the market properly for someone of his caliber so that players in the future aren’t stuck in a similar situation.
