NFLPA executive director blasts 'brutal conspiracy' against Lamar Jackson

Are the Baltimore Ravens-Lamar Jackson contract negotiations about to get contentious?

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith recently wrote on the NFLPA web site that owners are "potentially" colluding against "highly sought-after players" by refusing to offer fully guaranteed contracts.

"I have never witnessed teams being so quick to publicly announce their lack of interest in an MVP quarterback, who is in his prime and who is also going to get an injury guarantee, regardless of his contract," Smith wrote in reference to Jackson. "The fact of the matter is that NFL owners hate fully guaranteed contracts because they are better for the players than they are for the owners."

Earlier this month, Baltimore placed on Jackson a non-exclusive franchise tag that gives other teams the ability to negotiate with him and the Ravens a chance to match any offer. By not matching a deal, Baltimore would get two first-round draft picks from the team that signed Jackson.

Per ESPN, Jackson wants a fully guaranteed contract similar to the $231 million deal Cleveland gave QB Deshaun Watson last offseason. Per BetMgm.com, "Among nearly 2,000 players under contract in 2022, only 112 had fully-guaranteed deals."

No teams are known to have expressed interest in signing Jackson, who is considered one of the top QBs in the NFL. In 2019, he earned NFL MVP.

Smith believes the owners are taking a stand against Jackson to prevent other talented QBs from commanding fully guaranteed deals similar to Watson's. Quarterbacks Justin Herbert (Chargers), Jalen Hurts (Eagles) and Joe Burrow (Bengals) are soon expected to negotiate contract extensions with their teams.

If Jackson were to get a fully guaranteed contract, he could re-set the market for QBs.  

Per Bleacher Report, NFL owners are unhappy about the Watson deal. While this could have more to do with Watson's off-the-field behavior, the displeasure could also stem from the fully guaranteed aspect of the contract. Owners want to paint his contract as an outlier.

The Ravens-Jackson stand-off could set up an ugly fight between owners and the NFLPA over player compensation.

"Our union will take our steps, but also players have taken notice," Smith said. "They know what kind of league this is and nothing reminds them of a brutal business more than a brutal conspiracy against one of their own."