Columnist: Ravens were never trading QB Lamar Jackson

Well-respected sports author and columnist John Feinstein isn't buying any notion that the Baltimore Ravens even considered parting ways with quarterback Lamar Jackson this offseason. 

"I do not by any stretch consider myself an NFL insider, but I do know the men who run the Ravens organization, now and in the past: owner Steve Bisciotti, former general manager Ozzie Newsome, current general manager Eric DeCosta and Coach John Harbaugh," Feinstein wrote for a piece published by The Washington Post on Monday afternoon. "Here’s what they have in common: They’re all very smart—football-smart and life-smart. Which is why I knew they weren’t trading Jackson." 

Even before the Ravens officially used the non-exclusive franchise tag to retain Jackson's rights for 2023 on March 7, insiders such as Jason La Canfora indicated that contract negotiations had left the one-time NFL Most Valuable Player looking for a fresh start elsewhere. 

It had been reported that Jackson wanted a deal similar to the fully guaranteed five-year, $230M agreement Deshaun Watson received from the Cleveland Browns in March 2022. While the 26-year-old was able to speak with other clubs on the non-exclusive tag, it became obvious before the start of the NFL Draft this past Thursday night that no team was going to meet his alleged asking price. 

Hours before the first draft pick was announced, it was reported that Jackson and the Ravens had agreed to a five-year contract worth up to $260M with $185M in guaranteed money. Feinstein insisted Jackson staying with the Ravens was always the inevitable conclusion to the saga.

"Many of the stories about the new contract portrayed Jackson’s offseason as tumultuous," Feinstein added. "Not really. Most of the tumult was created by people who don’t understand how the Ravens work. Jackson was going to play for Baltimore this season. Now, he will play there for at least the next five seasons." 

Jackson tweeted on March 27 that he requested a trade from the Ravens on March 2, and it's entirely possible he feels some resentment toward DeCosta and Bisciotti regarding how contract talks went over the past couple of years. According to Feinstein, the Ravens accepting two first-round draft picks in return for Jackson "was never going to happen" because the signal-caller "was going to be a Raven, one way or the other." 

One wonders if Jackson knew that all along and merely used a "trade request" as a negotiation tactic.