Ravens face increasing complications as Lamar Jackson saga drags on

The clock is ticking on the Lamar Jackson contract saga. If the situation drags out beyond the draft, the Ravens could be in a compromising position if the QB decides he has played his last game in Baltimore. 

According to The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec, if a team like the Colts were to strike out on a QB prospect they like in the draft, they could try to salvage the offseason by making an offer to Jackson. Similarly, the Jets could pivot to Jackson if they fail to facilitate a trade for Aaron Rodgers.

The money and draft capital needed to get Jackson is not currently palatable for teams. But after the draft, their taste for the QB could sweeten with less valuable picks at stake and fewer options available. If the star QB is willing to be more flexible contact wise, more interested teams could come out of the woodwork. 

A post draft day offer sheet for Jackson would complicate things for the Ravens as they would get first round picks in the 2024 and 2025 drafts.  

If Jackson were to stay healthy, any picks Baltimore receives would likely be late first rounders. Unless the Ravens themselves finished with one of the worst records in the league, they would not be in a good position to draft a premier QB prospect.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Jackson is seeking more fully guaranteed money than the $230 million Deshaun Watson received. Jackson publicly requested a trade in March after the Ravens balked at these demands. 

The worst thing for Jackson's market was for Baltimore to do nothing, which it has. The Ravens haven't entertained low ball trade offers, they haven't bent to his demands and they haven't even taken the trade request seriously. 

NFL Agent Leigh Steinberg said in an interview with the Baltimore Banner that a public trade request is rarely beneficial to either side involved. 

"If a player wants to get traded, the last thing they should do is publicly demand to be traded," Steinberg said. "The rest of the league knows that the incumbent team has damaged goods on their hands and the trade offers they’ll make don’t give the team full value for the player. So it’s counterintuitive because by publicly asking for a trade, it becomes more difficult to make one."

If teams aren't willing to give the Ravens a fair price for Jackson, and are also unwilling to entertain an extension for the former MVP, Jackson would have to choose between accepting the Ravens previous offer, playing on the tag or holding out until his demands are met. 

July 17 is the deadline for long-term extensions. The two sides have until then to get something done before decisions will need to be made on the direction of the team and their star QB in 2023.