Report says 'at least one team doing advance homework' on possible trade for Ravens' Lamar Jackson

It was no secret at the start of the 2026 season that the Baltimore Ravens and quarterback Lamar Jackson could potentially part ways before the 2027 NFL Draft gets underway.

However, whispers about a potential divorce involving the two entities grew louder after Jackson suffered an injury on Nov. 1 to the thumb on his throwing hand that left him needing surgery and could keep him sidelined through the remainder of the season.

It sounds like teams around the league may be preparing to pounce in the event that Jackson and the Ravens decide to end their working relationship.

Do teams think Ravens will trade Lamar Jackson after the latest injury?

"Jackson’s cap number spikes to $84.34M (when the new league year opens in March 2027)," Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio explained for a piece published on Thursday. "Although the team has the right to do another restructuring that would reduce the 2027 cap number, that would make the dead-cap reckoning even larger as of 2028. A trade would avoid the final $52M in cash and cap charges, but the cap realities would make a post-June 1 move the far better option. And there have been whispers of at least one team doing advance homework on a potential pursuit of Jackson in 2027." 

Jackson's contract prevents the Ravens from using the franchise or transition tag to retain his rights after 2027. It also includes a no-trade clause.

Meanwhile, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic recently mentioned that Jackson will "have missed 16 games over the past two years and left a few other games during that span early with injuries" if his thumb injury keeps him out through the remainder of the ongoing campaign. Such an injury history could cause Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta and team owner Steve Bisciotti to think twice about giving Jackson yet another big-money contract extension. 

Which teams could be in play for Lamar Jackson? 

An August report claimed that the New York Jets could eventually hire Mike Tomlin as their new head coach and then acquire Jackson. Meanwhile, chatter recently resurfaced linking Jackson with the Miami Dolphins. Back in 2023, some thought Jackson could force his way to the Dolphins before the Ravens paid him that spring. On paper, Jackson would be an upgrade over current Miami starting quarterback Malik Willis. 

"As long as that desire to avoid a future without Lamar Jackson remains, there’s no reason to think he won’t be back in Baltimore in 2027," Florio added. 

The status of that desire was unclear as of the morning of Nov. 5.