Lamar Jackson shouldn’t be underneath contract with the Ravens for subsequent 12 months and lots of pundits have projected that he’s performed his final sport with the membership that drafted him in 2018. But in an end-of-season information convention Thursday, Ravens management dedicated to pursuing a long-term cope with Jackson that might hold him because the franchise’s star for years to come back.
“Lamar Jackson is our quarterback,” coach John Harbaugh mentioned.
That’s simpler mentioned than accomplished, although, because the Ravens and Jackson have been unable to come back to an settlement over a contract extension forward of this season, the final of his rookie contract. While a number of different prime quarterbacks throughout the league have been signed to extensions earlier than their contracts expired, Jackson reached the top of his preliminary five-year deal with out one in place.
General supervisor Eric DeCosta mentioned he “spent some time” with Jackson on Thursday and that the 2 communicated through the season. DeCosta deflected questions in regards to the specifics of their negotiations however demonstrated confidence {that a} deal would get accomplished by March 7, the deadline for groups to put a franchise tag on a participant. In Jackson’s case, the franchise tag would lock him in for subsequent season at a value of about $45 million.
“I told Lamar, ‘Hey, this thing has been a burden for both of us,’” DeCosta mentioned, ‘”but when this thing is over, we are gonna feel like a million bucks.’”
In Jackson’s case, he might really feel like greater than 200 million bucks. That’s been the going price for prime quarterbacks, as Kyler Murray, DeShaun Watson and Russell Wilson have every signed five-year offers price at the least $230 million, or $46 million a 12 months.
It stays a risk, nevertheless, that the Ravens might commerce Jackson to many keen suitors throughout the NFL, however DeCosta didn’t publicly entertain the concept. If the Ravens have been to commerce him, they’d doubtless obtain a number of draft picks in trade.
“That’s something that we’re not going to talk about at this point,” DeCosta mentioned. “Our focus right now is really to get a long-term deal done. That’s our singular focus.”
When requested if he needed Jackson in Baltimore for years to come back, Harbaugh mentioned, “100%, 200%, there’s no question about it.”
In Jackson’s second 12 months with the Ravens, he set a single-season NFL quarterback speeding file with 1,206 yards, led Baltimore to 14 regular-season wins and was named the 2019 Most Valuable Player. He had a robust marketing campaign in 2020, too, however accidents reduce quick each of his previous two seasons.
He suffered a knee damage in a Dec. 4 sport in opposition to the Denver Broncos and didn’t play once more the remainder of the season, prompting hypothesis that he sat out video games as a result of he didn’t have the comfortability of a long-term contract. DeCosta mentioned he didn’t imagine the contract performed a task: “I think Lamar was hurt.”
The Ravens agreed to a five-year cope with linebacker Roquan Smith earlier this month, reportedly price $100 million, which leaves the franchise tag obtainable to be used on Jackson, if wanted. But DeCosta spoke about Jackson’s contract with confidence.
“I was very happy to get Roquan done,” he mentioned, “and I’ll be even more happy when we get Lamar done.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com
