Insiders explain why Lamar Jackson's future with Ravens beyond 2025 is far from certain

The Baltimore Ravens are headed toward an offseason full of tough decisions. And based on a recent article from ESPN NFL insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, the biggest question could be what to do at quarterback.

In discussing teams with quarterback decisions to make this offseason, Graziano said to keep an eye on the Ravens.

"I'm still not sure how likely it is that there's change here," Graziano cautioned, "but the Ravens have to do something with Lamar Jackson's contract or move on."

Graziano added that Jackson has no guaranteed money left on his contract and a burdensome $74.5 million cap hit in 2026 before writing, "The Ravens need to extend him to get that cap hit down, or else they need to trade him."

Lamar Jackson's contract looms large for Ravens during upcoming offseason

An extension makes the most sense, but as Graziano noted, the team's lack of playoff success with Jackson could give the front office pause. In eight career postseason games, Jackson has a 3-5 record. Per 29 quarterbacks with multiple playoff starts since 2018, he ranks No. 24 in completion percentage (60.6 percent). Jackson also has the seventh-worst passer rating (84.6), while only Daniel Jones has a higher sack rate. (h/t Stathead)

Jackson has rarely elevated his play during the playoffs, but he's still a singular talent who gives Baltimore its best chance of claiming a Lombardi Trophy in the immediate future. His four Pro Bowls, three All-Pros and two MVPs can attest to his productivity, and the Ravens are unlikely to find a comparable replacement anytime soon.

Jackson's availability is once again an issue, however, with him missing multiple games for the third time in five seasons. Jackson was inactive for three games after suffering a hamstring injury in a Week 4 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs (6-9). He was also forced out of the team's Week 16 home loss to the New England Patriots (12-3) with a back injury. The team announced Jackson is "day-to-day with a 'significant' contusion" on Monday.

The Ravens (7-8) need a win Saturday (8 p.m. ET, Peacock) at the Green Bay Packers (9-5-1), paired with a loss by the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6) against the Cleveland Browns (3-12) (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS) to keep their dim playoff hopes alive. With the postseason being a long shot — per NFL.com, Baltimore has a 9 percent chance of advancing to the playoffs — the Ravens will soon be forced to grapple with Jackson's contract.

Drifting into quarterback purgatory seems inadvisable, but we're also not the ones being asked to hand a quarterback north of $60M per season. Can Baltimore build a winner with Jackson commanding that significant a portion of the cap? It's hard to tell. But it sure seems better than the alternative.