By Kevin Long
Staff Writer
Breaking the Bank in Baltimore
Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson seems to be reaching an agreement with the front office and GM Eric DeCosta on a deal which will likely make him a long-term piece in this run-focused offense. Since being picked in the first round in 2018, Jackson has been great for the Ravens, winning the MVP award unanimously in 2019 and being selected to two Pro Bowls, once in 2019 and again in 2021. Despite the focal point of his game being his ability to run the football, Jackson has displayed improvements in his passing game in tandem with All-Pro TE Mark Andrews and WR Marquise Brown.
While all of this sounds great on paper, Baltimore might have some qualms with Jackson’s asking price, which is rumored to sit at $40 million per year. These questions about how much to pay Jackson are likely rooted not only in recent QB contracts and Jackson’s late season injury, but the Ravens’ prior experience with paying star QBs. After Super Bowl XLVII, QB Joe Flacco became the highest paid quarterback in the NFL with a six year, $120 million contract after leading the Ravens to a win over the 49ers and becoming the Super Bowl MVP. After a stellar rookie campaign, Flacco’s play began to regress quickly, and the Ravens lost the ability to build around him due to the size of his contract. Fast forward to 2022, and the Ravens have a star QB who will command a large sum of money on his next contract just like all those years ago. After signing OT Ronnie Stanley to a new deal and losing him immediately after for a season and a half, it is understandable that the Ravens are hesitant to sign Lamar. It's a smarter move for the whole team.
Potential Cons
With questions like this, it is important to fully understand the effects of signing a player like Jackson to a deal of roughly $40 million per year. One of the biggest potential cons is that this money would have to come from somewhere, money that could otherwise be used to re-sign other rookies, veterans and free agents. In the case of the Ravens, this could mean losing some notable players set to become free agents this year, including FB Pat Ricard, DE Calais Campbell or DT Brandon Williams. Losing any players as pivotal as these three would cause the Ravens to revamp their plans for the draft, forcing them to look at rookies to fill a starting role rather than to take time to develop behind a seasoned veteran. Luckily, the Ravens have already locked up players like OT Ronnie Stanley and TE Mark Andrews. Other key players could be traded away if Lamar is signed to a large deal.
Another obvious con would be if Jackson’s play began to regress — similarly to how Flacco’s did following his extension. Note that Jackson missed about a third of the season with an ankle injury this year, which could affect his play going forward.
Potential Pros
Finding pros to signing Lamar Jackson is not a hard task.
In October 2021, Jackson became the winningest QB before the age of 25, with 41 total wins prior to turning 25 on Jan. 7, 2022. While on the field, Jackson almost always finds a way to lead the Ravens to victory, with the team going on a five game losing streak after losing him to injury this season. There is something about Jackson’s presence that seems to fire up the whole team, as he is a leader for the Ravens despite his normally quiet disposition.
He is a former MVP and has led the Ravens to the postseason every season with the exception of 2021, when he was out with injury. Despite not always finding success in the postseason, it is putting the team in the position to win that matters. His problems in the postseason seem to be largely overblown, considering he has the same amount of postseason wins as QB Dak Prescott of the Cowboys and QB Deshaun Watson of the Texans, yet rarely do you hear stories about these quarterbacks being unable to win in the playoffs. Additionally, QB Matt Stafford of the Rams did not get his first playoff win until this year at the age of 34. While it is worth monitoring Jackson’s skills and ability to win in the postseason, it should not be a factor in his contract extension.
Despite all the pros and cons, it is likely that the Ravens will give Jackson somewhere between $35 to $40 million per year. Rarely does the talent and success he brings fall to a team at pick 32 in the first round. Jackson will likely be in purple and black for a while — though only time will tell what success he will find for his team in the coming years.
