Aug 23, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) walks on the field before the game against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Ravens GM Shares Update on Lamar Jackson Extension

Originally posted on Baltimore Ravens on SI
By Jon Alfano | Last updated Aug 29, 2025 1:00 PM ET

With just over a week to go until the regular season kicks off, the Baltimore Ravens checked a major item off their offseason to-do list when they signed star safety Kyle Hamilton to a four-year, $100.4 million deal that makes him the highest-paid safety in NFL history.

Locking up their defensive cornerstone is undeniably great, but the Ravens still have work to do.

Numerous Ravens stars - including center Tyler Linderbaum, defensive lineman Travis Jones, and most notable by far, two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson - are due for new deals very soon. It's unlikely that those deals - or even just one of them, really - get done before next week's season opener, but general manager Eric DeCosta assured fans that those negotiations are "ongoing."

"I like to work kind of in the dark, quietly and try and get as much done as we can," DeCosta told reporters Wednesday. "We've got a lot of different things going on. We've got a lot of really good players. It's a blessing and a curse. I think we do a pretty good job drafting, and so that means we've got players that deserve to be paid well, and we're trying to keep those guys knowing that.

While Jackson is signed through the 2027 season, unlike Linderbaum and Jones who are both entering contract years, his extension is arguably the most important to get done. Not just to keep the franchise player happy, but to get his $74.5 million cap hit in 2026 down to a manageable number.

Again, DeCosta was pretty tight-lipped when asked about Jackson's cap hit.

"I appreciate the question, but I think it's good to keep these kinds of things with the players and these business things as quiet as possible," DeCosta said. "That'll continue to be the way we operate, generally speaking. I really wouldn't want to get into any specifics in regard to any of our players in their contract negotiations right now because I think it hurts the process."

The Ravens have been very good about keeping their homegrown talent around, but they have had to let a few players go over the years for salary cap reasons. Sadly, they may be headed down a similar road once again.

"As I've said a thousand times, we can't keep everybody and so unfortunately, you're going to see some good players probably in the next couple of years play for other teams. We've seen that. That's going to be something that continues."

This article first appeared on Baltimore Ravens on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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