As he heads into the final season of his rookie contract, Lamar Jackson has yet to sign a longterm extension deal with the Baltimore Ravens.
When talking to media yesterday, Ravens GM Eric DeCosta indicated that the Baltimore organization hopes to get a deal done with Jackson whenever “he wants to work on it.” The wording of this message seemed to imply that the former league MVP could be set to test the contract waters.
With Jackson seemingly in no rush to get a deal done, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport suggested that the superstar QB could play his existing contract all the way out.
Rapoport believes Jackson, who currently operates without an agent, could be using this hesitation as a way to “maximize his contract leverage.”
Could #Ravens QB Lamar Jackson play out his contract all the way? It is a discussion worth having. pic.twitter.com/7iQAxNBObH
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 3, 2022
Fans from around the NFL world took to Twitter to react to this possibility.
“Waiting only benefits Lamar at this point. He deserves every dollar he is going to get from the #Ravens franchise,” one wrote.
“Lamar more than any QB needs the 2nd contract protection with his play style,” another opposed.
“I am begging – begging – lamar jackson to hire an agent,” another said.
Don’t be surprised if he plays out his last year because of his last couple down years, think he’s betting on himself… I respect it. https://t.co/jHZLk8KPRn
— FatRollSportsPod🗯 (@FatRollSports) March 3, 2022
Though extremely unconventional, a fifth-year option plus two franchise tags is a possibility for Jackson. If he were to take this path, he would become a free agent in 2025.
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