
Lamar Jackson’s contract situation has been a major talking point for the past few months. There are some rumblings that he wants his contract to be fully guaranteed.
During this Wednesday’s episode of First Take, ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith made it clear that he wouldn’t give Jackson a fully-guaranteed contract if he was running the Ravens.
Smith would, however, give Jackson a lofty salary for the 2023 season and beyond.
“I’m not giving him a fully-guaranteed deal either,” Smith said. “Here’s where I will agree. He’s worth $50 million per year.”
The Ravens have to know how valuable Jackson is to their franchise. Since 2018, they have a 45-16 record when he starts.
If the Ravens can’t agree to a long-term deal with Jackson before the March 7 deadline, they’ll apply the franchise tag.
NFL Network previously reported that Baltimore could, in theory, trade Jackson for “a windfall of draft picks.” However, there’s no indication yet that he’ll be on the move this offseason.