How will Lamar Jackson standoff be resolved? Examining all options for star QB, Ravens
Aaron Rodgers saga is the main course of the NFL offseason, then the Lamar Jackson mystery is its very sizable hors d’oeuvre.
And while Rodgers decides when to reveal whether – or perhaps where – he will be playing in 2023, the Baltimore Ravens have until March 7 to make their first significant decision about Jackson’s immediate future. That’s the deadline for teams to use the franchise tag on one of their pending free agents in order to hinder his ability to leave.
“We’re hopeful that we’ll get a deal done with Lamar before that happens,” Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said Wednesday at the annual scouting combine.
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Exclusive franchise tag
Its one-year tender for a quarterback is worth approximately $45 million, commensurate with what the league’s top passers earn in average annual compensation. It would also prevent Jackson, who represents himself, from negotiating with other teams while sending a message – both financially and from a restrictive standpoint – that the Ravens are committed to a future with him. It also allows both sides four more months to reach an extension.
DeCosta said Wednesday there’s “no doubt” Jackson deserves to be paid in the upper tier of NFL QBs.
And yet the exclusive tag would put the Ravens – currently projected to have $24.3 million to spend this year, per OverTheCap – into a $20+ million deficit that would necessitate either restructuring of other players’ contracts or cutting them outright.
the league’s MVP, and Baltimore has experienced significant (regular-season) success in his five seasons, including four playoff trips.
“You can’t win in this league without a strong quarterback,” said DeCosta. “I mean, that’s been proven. So we want Lamar here. We think he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the league – he’s certainly one of our best players – and we want him back.
“Living in a world without a quarterback is a bad world to live in.”
And a likely outcome for the Ravens if Jackson leaves the fold, especially since they’re not scheduled to pick until the 22nd spot in the draft. And Baltimore seems an unlikely destination for a player like Rodgers given how the offense has been customized for Jackson over the years.
Yet that attack will be evolving under newly hired coordinator Todd Monken, though coach John Harbaugh believes his hiring is a sign of the organization’s devotion to Jackson and his continued development.
Asked if he’s imagined a post-Jackson scenario, Harbaugh said: “Not very much. As little as possible, for sure. Our plans are for Lamar.”
Neither he nor DeCosta took issue with Jackson’s absence from the Ravens’ wild-card loss at Cincinnati, Harbaugh – who texts frequently with the quarterback – believing Jackson was simply trying to give himself the best opportunity to play the following week even though he didn’t appear after Week 14 in either of the past two seasons due to injuries.
“It’s just what it is, part of the business,” Harbaugh said of the ongoing impasse. “I’m really hopeful and excited – fervently hopeful and can’t wait for it to get done.
“We want Lamar, and Lamar wants to be a Raven. And, in the end, that’s gonna work itself out in my mind. … I’ve always been confident that it’s gonna get worked out, and I still believe that.”
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Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis.