Ex-CEO: Lamar Jackson must back off specific contract demand

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

Former NFL CEO: Lamar Jackson must back off specific contract demand

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated Dec 31, 2022 12:05 AM ET

It’s no secret that the Baltimore Ravens want to make Lamar Jackson one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL.

But as former Cleveland Browns CEO Joe Banner recently wrote in a column for the 33rd Team, if a deal is to be reached, Jackson will have to walk back his stance of wanting to match or top Deshaun Watson’s fully guaranteed $230 million deal with the Cleveland Browns.

“The hang-up in Jackson’s current negotiations is reportedly the guaranteed money,” Banner said. “Most of the recent extensions were structured as old-fashioned contracts with a large portion of the deal guaranteed, but not all of it. … At some point, [Jackson] has to say to himself, ‘This is good enough,’ and take a deal that is likely to be record-setting, even if he doesn’t get it 100 percent fully guaranteed.”

Baltimore has been bullish on handing Jackson a fully guaranteed deal due recent durability issues. The 25-year-old former first-round pick has missed four straight games this year with a knee injury, and he played in just 12 of 17 games last season.

If I had an MVP vote, I'd vote for Lamar Jackson.

Had the Ravens at 7-4 in spite of Greg Roman being his OC and having a bottom-five WR group in the NFL.

25.0 pts/gm with Jackson. 14.6 pts/gm without Jackson.

Baltimore's entire blueprint is "Lamar, save us."
— Joe DiBiase (@SneakyJoeSports) December 28, 2022

Jackson already reportedly turned down a monster contract offer with $130 million guaranteed from the Ravens before the season started. With Jackson digging his heels in, the Ravens are likely faced with one of two choices.

Option 1: Baltimore could slap Jackson with an exclusive-rights franchise tag worth approximately $46 million, which would prevent him from negotiating with other teams.

Option 2: Baltimore could place the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson for approximately $32 million, but Jackson could negotiate with other teams. If another team offered Jackson a contract, the Ravens could match it or decline to match and receive two first-round picks as compensation.

The second option is less likely with quarterback-needy teams like the Colts, Commanders, Jets, Panthers, Saints and Texans potentially bold enough to break the bank for Jackson’s services.

Michael Gallagher

Michael Gallagher is a longtime sports journalist based out of Nashville with a decade of experience covering college football, mixed martial arts and prep sports plus the NFL and NHL — specifically the Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators. He’s covered several notable sporting events including an AFC Championship game, a Stanley Cup Final, an NHL All-Star Game and an NHL Stadium Series. Some of his past bylines can be found at the Nashville Scene, SB Nation, The Hockey News and Fox Sports Knoxville

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