Ravens' Lamar Jackson contract extension will reportedly remain on hold

Do not expect Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens to have a new contract extension signed before Sunday's season opener, according to a Saturday report from ESPN's Adam Schefter.

According to Schefter, Jackson has been focused on Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts and, "for whatever reason," has been reluctant to engage with the team in contract talks.

Lamar Jackson contract extension with Ravens remains on hold

The Ravens have remained optimistic about getting Jackson signed to a new long-term deal, but have also acknowledged it is a different type of negotiation with Jackson given that he does not use an agent and handles his own contracts.

He has two years remaining on his current contract, which is putting some pressure on the Ravens to get something done sooner rather than later.

They almost certainly do not want to go into next season in what could be a lame-duck year with him because their options would be severely limited. Trading him would be nearly impossible, or at least difficult, because Jackson has full no-trade protections in his current deal. They also can not franchise tag him because his contract also includes a no-tag clause. If they do not get him signed long-term, they could potentially lose him for nothing. 

The Ravens are reportedly willing to make him the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL, and that might ultimately be what is driving Jackson's decision to wait. 

With players like Drake Maye and C.J. Stroud getting close to new deals that could potentially put them up into the $65 or $70 million per year mark, the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL could look dramatically different next offseason compared to this offseason. He might be waiting to see what the next wave of quarterbacks get on their deals before he looks to jump over them. 

Or he could be looking to just keep his options open and decide if he still wants to be a Raven. That possibility can not be completely dismissed. Either way, the Ravens know they have at least two years to try and win with Jackson. Anything beyond that remains a mystery as to where he will be playing football.