Lamar Jackson could face uncertain future with Ravens

Lamar Jackson’s future with the Baltimore Ravens may not be as secure as one would expect.

In their weekly notes column, Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN noted that the Ravens are likely going to have to make some sort of contractual decision on Jackson this offseason. While Jackson still has two years remaining on his current deal, his cap hit for 2026 will be $74.5 million, meaning the Ravens likely need to either extend Jackson or trade him in order to reduce that figure.

Jackson does have a no-trade clause, so the Ravens could not simply move him to another team without his permission.

The Ravens’ decision on Jackson is not as clear-cut as it likely would have been a year ago. The quarterback has been limited to 12 games by injuries, and his numbers have not been quite as good when he has played. He has thrown for 2,311 yards and ran for 340 more with 20 total touchdowns. He remains very good, but those are not the same numbers he was putting up in his MVP-caliber 2024 season.

Complicating things further is the fact that the Ravens have not found playoff success with Jackson. One can debate how much of that is his fault, but despite all their regular season success, Jackson and the Ravens have only won three playoff games in seven seasons.

The most likely outcome is that Jackson remains with the Ravens on a new deal. Things can change quickly, however, especially with both Jackson and the Ravens having underwhelming seasons by their own lofty standards.