Could Ravens still trade Lamar Jackson after firing John Harbaugh?

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson seemed to be the winner of an alleged power struggle when the Ravens surprisingly fired longtime head coach John Harbaugh.

Before that news broke, Ryan Mink of the Ravens' website was among those who said the team and Jackson will likely need to work out a contract extension this offseason for reasons related to the salary cap. For a mailbag published on Wednesday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated suggested other teams could reach out to the Ravens about Jackson's availability if the two sides don't come to terms on an extension before the new league year opens in March. 

Lamar Jackson has newfound leverage with Ravens

"If things are bumpy, it’s fair to reason that interested teams would at least inquire about the availability of Jackson," Breer wrote about negotiations between the Ravens and the signal-caller. "But the far more likely outcome, depending on who the new coach is, is that Jackson does a new deal this offseason. ...Players in his spot — with a new coach installed ahead of a negotiation — usually have leverage."

Before the Ravens were eliminated from postseason contention on the first Sunday of January, a report hinted that he may want to join either the Miami Dolphins or Las Vegas Raiders. However, it was later said that the Ravens "absolutely want Lamar Jackson to be the quarterback of their future." 

Shortly after news of Harbaugh's dismissal went public, a report claimed that he had lost Jackson and other Baltimore players. 

Why Lamar Jackson will look to sign a contract extension this offseason

The Ravens initially used the non-exclusive franchise tag to retain Jackson's rights for 2023, and he eventually signed a five-year contract reportedly worth up to $260M (with $185M guaranteed) that spring. Breer explained why Jackson will be looking to ink an extension before he takes another meaningful in-game snap later this year. 

"The majority of the $52M ($29M) that Jackson is owed in 2026 is already guaranteed," Breer wrote. "None of the $52M he’s owed in ’27 is, though. And if the contract’s not amended, it’s fair to wonder how careful Jackson and the team will be with his injuries. There have been three seasons in which the team’s attempt to re-up Jackson after injury failed (’21, ’22 and ’25). He missed five, five, and four games, respectively, those years."

Tuesday's developments indicated that Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti chose Jackson over Harbaugh. Nevertheless, Jackson's future with the club may remain somewhat murky until an extension is announced.