Getty Is Kirk Cousins inspiring Lamar Jackson's contract strategy?
Lamar Jackson and Kirk Cousins may have something in common. Namely, their respective approaches to contract negotiations.
Minnesota Vikings starter Cousins played under two franchise tags to position himself to cash in big time in 2018. Some agents around the NFL believe Jackson, who is representing himself in contract talks with the Baltimore Ravens, is prepared to go the same route as Cousins took.
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Jackson Wants ‘3-Year Deal’
In a comprehensive look at the state of play between Jackson and the Ravens, CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora speculated about the player’s strategy. Specifically, La Canfora carried quotes from unnamed agents who offered some interesting opinions on what Jackson may be thinking.
The most telling quote came from somebody La Canfora described as “one top agent who has negotiated numerous big quarterback deals.” This agent thinks Jackson is taking a page straight out of Cousins’ playbook:
“I hear he is looking at a three-year deal, or something short term. It’s always about the money, and they aren’t close on that, but it’s also about the term. He already played for almost nothing ($1.7M base salary) last year. He’s getting $23M (fully guaranteed) this year. You think he’s scared of a franchise tag? I keep hearing he’s looking at Cousins.”
Cousins was still in Washington when he became the first quarterback in league history to play on the tag two years running. He left the nation’s capital in 2018 as a free agent able to choose the best deal.
The Vikings offered that deal at eye-watering terms, per NFL Research:
Kirk Cousins’ new contract contains the most fully guaranteed money in the NFL ($84 million)
The next-closest current deal contains $60.5 million guaranteed (Matthew Stafford)
Cousins got a fully guaranteed three-year contract from the Vikings, and La Canfora believes Jackson is aiming to get the same thing in Baltimore: “If Cousins, a second-tier QB, was able to secure three years and $84M fully guaranteed from the Vikings in 2018, then what would a talent like Jackson – an MVP at age 22 – be worth on the open market in 2025, with the gambling money pouring in and the league’s media deals continuing to set records and guys in the broadcast booth now getting $18M a year?”
It’s a good point considering Jackson has already played himself into the realm of the elite players at his position. Aside from Buffalo Bills’ starter Josh Allen, Jackson is the most exciting dual-threat quarterback in the league.
That description is borne out by plays like this one against the Cincinnati Bengals:
As well as his on-field heroics, Jackson is also a winner. His career record is an impressive 37-12 in the pros, according to Statmuse.
Jackson has also guided the Ravens to the postseason in three of his four seasons at this level. Only an ankle injury prevented the 2019 NFL MVP from carrying a depleted Ravens team back into the playoffs last season.
What Jackson has done is make himself indispensable to the Ravens, one reason why another anonymous agent quoted by La Canfora says the quarterback has his franchise “by the balls, whether he knows it or not. And I get the impression that he does.”
If Jackson is fully aware of the strength of his position, he’s more likely to aim to be tagged after playing on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal in 2022. Then Jackson could begin treading a path toward a Cousins-sized deal.
Franchise Tag Becoming a Popular Prediction
La Canfora and the agents he spoke with aren’t the only ones who believe Jackson wants the tag. Speaking on an episode of NFL Now, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport made a similar argument:
Could #Ravens QB Lamar Jackson play out his contract all the way? It is a discussion worth having.
Like La Canfora, Rapoport wonders if Jackson is using Cousins for inspiration. If so, it means Jackson is rolling the dice on his ability to stay healthy and at least play at the same level for possibly the next two or even three years.
The first part of that equation will be tough because Jackson has never completed a full season since entering the league in 2018. He missed five games during last season’s run-in, and the Ravens went 0-5 without their talisman.
There’s no doubting Jackson’s talent, but there’s also no doubting how his daring style of play can lead to more bumps and bruises than the average quarterback suffers. Nobody’s going to want to hand Jackson the Cousins-esque guaranteed deal he might want, if the player is still considered injury prone three years from now.
Any possible suitors will also want to see Jackson has maintained his impressive numbers when healthy. The precarious nature of playing with the tag may not help, although Cousins produced some of his best football under the same arrangement, passing for a career-high 4,917 yards in 2016, before throwing 27 touchdowns a year later.
Jackson should be able to do something similar if he is indeed following the same strategy Cousins used so effectively. The Ravens may not like it, but they could also enjoy the best three seasons of Jackson’s career as he does everything he can to maximize his earning potential down the line.