NFL teams are keeping an eye on 'interesting' Lamar Jackson, Ravens situation

Publicly, Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti and general manager Eric DeCosta have given no indication they want anybody other than Lamar Jackson to be the team's starting quarterback for the foreseeable future. 

However, questions about Jackson's status will continue to hover over the club unless he signs a contract extension. For a piece published on Thursday, one unnamed NFC executive spoke with Jeremy Fowler of ESPN and suggested that teams will be monitoring the Jackson-Ravens situation over the next handful of months. 

Lamar Jackson tracking toward gaining more leverage for contract talks with Ravens?

"Last time [in 2023] it seemed like talks were going nowhere and then a deal seemed to pop out suddenly," the executive said about the last contract saga involving Jackson and the Ravens. "This one has a chance to get really interesting again, especially if he has a big year and ups his leverage."

In 2023, Jackson used a trade request to receive a five-year deal reportedly worth up to $260M with $185M guaranteed from the Ravens. However, that contract was inked long before Dallas Cowboys star Dak Prescott signed a four-year extension reportedly worth $240M with $231M guaranteed. 

A recent report indicated that Jackson wants a fully guaranteed deal with a higher annual average value than Prescott's agreement. Assuming that's the case, the Ravens don't seem to be all that keen on meeting Jackson's demands this spring. 

Lamar Jackson may be "totally comfortable" making the Ravens sweat

"If the past negotiation is any indication," Fowler wrote, "Jackson is totally comfortable waiting things out. ...Jackson is slated to be a free agent in March 2028 and has a clause in his contract that prevents the Ravens from placing the franchise tag on him."

Moving on from a two-time MVP who will turn just 30 years old in January 2027 would be a bold move for any team to make. Jackson's injury history could alarm those running the Ravens, but history shows that at least one quarterback-needy team would happily trade for him and then give him a desired contract extension if he becomes available next winter.