Lamar Jackson Contract Issues: According to reports, the “refusal” of the Baltimore Ravens to provide quarterback Lamar Jackson a fully guaranteed contract was at the heart of the failed extension talks before the 2022 NFL season. For more information read the article till to end!
Who is Lamar Jackson?
Lamar Demeatrice Jackson Jr. (born January 7, 1997) is an American football quarterback for the National Football League’s Baltimore Ravens (NFL).
He played college football at Louisville, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore, and the Ravens selected him as the 32nd overall choice in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Jackson became the youngest NFL quarterback to start a playoff game at age 21 and led the Ravens to a division championship in his rookie season after incumbent Joe Flacco was injured. Jackson also became the youngest NFL quarterback to start a playoff game.
Lamar Jackson Contract Issues
The Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora reported on Saturday that Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti was “unwilling to budge on the issue” despite Lamar Jackson’s desire to sign a new contract comparable to the five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract Deshaun Watson signed with the Cleveland Browns in March.
Jackson, the 2019 NFL Most Valuable Player, announced early in training camp that he had set a Week 1 deadline to sign an extension or he would play out the final season of his rookie deal.
The Ravens stated on Friday that there was no agreement in place prior to their season opener on the road against the New York Jets on Sunday. John Harbaugh, the head coach, is still confident that a solution will be found.
“These matters will resolve themselves in the end. I am confident in that,” added Harbaugh. “I stated in the beginning that it will occur when the time is right, and it will occur when the time is right.
So, Lamar is playing quarterback, and he will continue to play quarterback for a while.
Jackson will earn $23 million in 2022, and it is virtually certain that the Ravens would use the franchise tag on him next summer if a contract is not struck.
It appears that a significant gulf existed between the parties before the conclusion of the negotiations.
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What Did La Canfora Said?
La Canfora stated that while Jackson, who represented himself in discussions, sought a contract comparable to Watson’s, the Ravens “never even neared $200 million in full guarantees.”
A source informed the Washington Post, “He believes he deserves a contract with complete guarantees; it’s that simple.”
In the end, there was insufficient time pressure to compel either party to change their position on the primary issue.
The Ravens are aware that they may utilize the franchise tag for at least two years before it could become cost-prohibitive, while Jackson can continue to gamble on himself in the short term with the certainty that he would be compensated well when he ultimately becomes a free agent.
In addition, quarterback pay has continued to rise in recent years, so the dual-threat quarterback may save even more money by delaying the signing of a new contract.
La Canfora reported that the fifth-year quarterback “hasn’t been excessively concerned about the injury risk” despite the fact that he depends heavily on his legs to make plays and is 25 years old.
Given all of the information and each side’s clear attitude, it’s not very surprising that an extension agreement was not achieved.
In the future, assuming Jackson can remain healthy (he was limited to 12 games last season), the Ravens will be a title contender if he plays in all 16 games, but the AFC is so deep that they have little room for mistake.
Before restarting discussions with their franchise quarterback in the summer, they will prioritize their pursuit of a title, beginning with Sunday’s matchup against the Jets at 1:00 p.m. ET.
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Summary
The Baltimore Ravens’ refusal to provide quarterback Lamar Jackson with a fully guaranteed contract was at the heart of the failed extension talks before the 2022 NFL season. Jackson deserves a contract with guarantees, but the Ravens prioritize their pursuit of a title.