The Ravens are hoping to keep Lamar Jackson in Baltimore for at least one more year, and they’ve made the first move ahead of the NFL’s tag deadline.
Baltimore placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on its quarterback, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport told Tuesday, according to a source.
Lamar Jackson’s tag would cost the Ravens $32.416 million in 2023, and he would have until July 17 to reach a multi-year extension with the 2019 AP NFL Most Valuable Player before that number becomes permanent.
“Having not yet reached a long-term deal with Lamar Jackson, we will use the franchise tag,” Ravens general manager Eric De Costa said in a statement announcing the tag on Tuesday. “There have been numerous instances across the league and in Baltimore when a player has been designated with the franchise tag and signed a long-term deal in the same year. We will continue to negotiate in good faith with Lamar, and we “Hopefully we can get both Lamar and the Ravens to work out a long-term deal that is fair. Our ultimate goal is to build a championship team with Lamar Jackson that will thrive for many years to come.”
The Ravens would be hard-pressed to get a deal done before that date, but a bigger potential issue is the non-exclusive nature of the organization’s chosen tag.
Lamar Jackson is still free to negotiate with other teams in free agency. Should he sign an offer sheet from another organization, Baltimore would have five days to match it or decide to bow out. So the Ravens risk being outbid for two first-round draft picks in return and losing a piece of their franchise.
One team that won’t be on the Lamar Jackson sweepstakes, though, is the Falcons, as Good Morning Football’s Peter Schrager reported Tuesday that Atlanta doesn’t plan to pursue the QB.
Baltimore could block other teams from forcing their way into the conversation, but it would have taken away a special tag that is worth about $13 million more in 2023 than $45 million.
Things will continue to be difficult for Lamar Jackson and the team, with QB-needing teams in free agency presenting one obstacle and the expansion deadline providing another.
But a difficult road has been a good journey for Lamar Jackson and the club.
The Ravens were negotiating an extension before last season, but did not come to an agreement before the QB’s Week 1 deadline. In September, it was reported that Lamar Jackson turned down Russell Wilson’s $49 million-a-year contract in key areas, and in February, NFL Network insiders reported that Deshaun Watson’s deal with the Lamar Jackson Browns was completely over. The guaranteed $230 million wanted guaranteed money in line with the agreement. Lamar Jackson took the world by storm as a rookie in 2018, becoming the starter for a Baltimore team that was treading water at 4-5 before going 6-1 in the bye week.
Then, Lamar Jackson won the MVP in 2019 after leading the league in passing touchdowns (36) and setting the QB single-season rushing record (1,206 yards). The Ravens reached the postseason for the third straight year under Lamar Jackson in 2020, and the dual-threat earned their first playoff win, but Baltimore once again failed to advance past the divisional round.
However, Lamar Jackson’s luster has waned a bit in the last two years.
He had a 33-20 touchdown-to-interception ratio with an 88.9 passer rating over the past two years, compared to Lamar Jackson’s 62 TDs, 15 interceptions, and 106.6 passer rating from 2019-2020, in which Lamar Jackson missed five games each season. ended with being. due to injury.
Whether due to his nagging injuries and the team’s lack of success recently or Lamar Jackson’s low efficiency, the contract split between the team and its QBs has now culminated in a non-exclusive franchise tag.
This is the first step towards staying in the City of Lamar Jackson for 2023. Now the Ravens’ clock is extending again to either agree to a new contract with Lamar Jackson on his own terms or match an offer sheet, should he sign with another team. ,