‘Franchise tag or secure the bag?’ Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens have reached a stalemate in the QBs contract negotiations

With the Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson unable to come to a mutual agreement regarding the QBs future, his role as the team's franchise player hangs in the balance.

‘Franchise tag or secure the bag?’ Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens have reached a stalemate in the QBs contract negotiations

Where will Lamar Jackson end up? (IMAGE: USA Today)

The NFL offseason is in full swing and while teams are already evaluating and making moves to improve their respective quarterback situations, there is one team that has an elite quarterback but is still on the boundary if they should offer him a massive contract or not. The QB, in this context, is none other than Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens. LJ and his contract talks have been going on for a while now and as frustrating as it is for both sides, neither has been able to reach any middle ground.

So, what is the problem? Lamar Jackson views himself as a top QB in this league and a look at his resume does establish that. However, the Baltimore Ravens do not know if it would be the right move to offer him what he is demanding. Lamar is one of the few players who represents himself, which means when you’re negotiating with him, he is the one you are talking to.

Jackson is currently heading to free agency. He rejected a quarter of a billion-dollar deal offered to him by the team last season. That is a LOT of money to walk away from. He was risking losing everything just by actively playing this year as football is a violent sport and an injury would have definitely impacted the QB negatively in the process of negotiating his contract.

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Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens are unable to reach a middle ground:

LAMAR JACKSON
The Ravens will have to place the franchise tag on Lamar Jackson if they are unable to reach an agreement by Tuesday. (IMAGE: USA Today)

From Lamar Jackson’s perspective, he is basing his value on Deshaun Watson’s massive $230 million deal with the entire amount guaranteed. The QB is comparing his situation to that of his peers and, given the circumstances under which Watson signed his contract, Lamar expects more, as he is not a troublemaker and has seldom found himself in any controversies. He has also proven himself to be the man for this Ravens team and is a legitimate dual threat on the field.

When one takes all these factors into account, his value should be a lot more than what Watson was offered, but there is one problem. Jackson walked away from a $250 million deal. What remains ambiguous is the breakdown of that contract, which means how much of that total amount was guaranteed. How much was based on incentives? What would happen to the contract in the event of an unforeseen injury?

Viewing it from Lamar’s perspective, he values himself highly, and going by the assumption that the Ravens did offer him a contract that had a significant chunk guaranteed to him, he expects to get a contract worth $300 million. Lamar has also taken a good look around the NFL. Russell Wilson of the Denver Broncos, who signed a $296 million contract with the team without even stepping on the field for them, had a terrible season this year and compared to him, Lamar did fare well. One cannot help but speculate that Jackson views this as leverage in some form or other.

If Wilson can get such a massive contract with a team that he had not played a single game for and that team was willing to take such a big chance with him, why are the Ravens not doing the same for him? After all, Baltimore has groomed him and knows what he is capable of. The Ravens have their own concerns and the primary one being, if they were to offer a massive contract to their QB, it would affect their other roster decisions and they will find themselves restricted in signing other elite players.

For now, both sides appear to be involved in a stalemate and the Ravens are considering placing the franchise tag on their quarterback if they are unable to reach any deal by the end of the franchise tag deadline. As per NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero, Baltimore is considering this move and is debating on placing either the non-exclusive franchise tag or the exclusive franchise tag on the QB.

LAMAR JACKSON
Lamar Jackson is looking for a massive contract with a significant portion guaranteed. (IMAGE: USA Today)

If they decide to use the exclusive tag on him, the team will have to pay him an estimated $45 million this season and if they decide to use the non-exclusive tag then they will owe him $32.4 million in 2023 and it will give both sides time till the 17th of July to negotiate upon a long-term deal. However, the issue with the latter tag is that LJ will be able to talk to other teams and if you are the Ravens, you definitely do not want that.

It’s been over a year since Jackson’s contractual talks began and to date, there does not seem to be a conclusive end in sight. However, both sides are working with a sense of urgency now more than ever. Lamar Jackson’s contract will impact the league’s quarterback market significantly, that is for certain.

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