Everything You Need To Know About Lamar Jackson’s Contract Extension With Ravens

A five-year deal between Lamar Jackson and the Ravens has been reached in principle.

On the first day of the 2023 NFL Draft, after roughly two years of negotiations, a compromise was reached. It’s the first-round “pick” the Ravens and their supporters have been hoping for, and Jackson will supposedly become the highest-paid player in NFL history as a result.

Everything You Need To Know About Lamar Jackson’s Contract Extension With Ravens

According to people familiar with the negotiations, the great quarterback and the Ravens have reached an agreement on a five-year, $260 million contract, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport said on Thursday.

According to Rapoport, Jackson’s new contract contains $185 million in total guarantees. Jackson is now the newest highest-paid player in the NFL thanks to his $52 million per year contract.

A prospective long-term arrangement between the Ravens and Jackson, who represents himself, has been back and forth for years. The sides were deadlocked because the QB allegedly wanted more guaranteed money than Baltimore was willing to provide.

Before the Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on the quarterback, Jackson claimed to have made a trade request on March 2. The quarterback would have played on the $32.416 million tender in 2023 if a long-term agreement wasn’t reached by July 17; in that case, other teams could have extended a tender to him. To eventually come to an understanding, they didn’t have to hold off until this summer.

“For the last few months, there’s been a lot of he said, she said. A lot of nail-biting, a lot of head scratching going on,” Jackson said in a video celebrating the news. “But for the next five years, it’s a lot of Flock going on. Let’s go, baby. Let’s go. Man, let’s go. Can’t wait to get there, can’t wait to be there. Can’t wait to light up M&T for the next five years, man. Let’s get it.”

Jackson has decided to remain with Baltimore, the team that used the 32nd and last pick to draft him in the 2018 NFL Draft. Jackson has developed over the past five years into one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks and most dynamic athletes. In 2019 he has the most touchdown passes in the NFL, becoming league MVP.

Jackson is the Ravens’ starting quarterback, and he has a regular-season record of 45-16. He has a 1-3 record in the playoffs, with his lone victory coming against the Titans in the wild-card round in 2020. After Jackson missed the final five games of the season due to injury in 2021, the Ravens barely missed the playoffs.

Jackson’s renewal has greatly increased Baltimore’s chances of winning the title in 2023.

Following the conclusion of the first round of negotiations on Thursday night, DeCosta discussed finding that common ground in discussions.

“I think it’s just one of those things,” he told reporters. “Sometimes you just need time. These things develop. As I said, I think I’ve said it a few times, sometimes these things can happen in two weeks and sometimes it takes two years. On that scale, this was.

“I know that our appreciation and love for Lamar has really never wavered, but it was business, as well. And I said today, and I feel that way. Sometimes with family, things can get tough. We all feel that sometimes. … There was definitely some emotion, but in the end, we’ve been blessed to have Lamar as part of this organization for a long time. We’ve won a lot of football games. I think he feels this place is special, too.”

 

 

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