Getty The Indianapolis Colts have provided a key update on the potential that they trade for veteran quarterback Lamar Jackson.
The Philadelphia Eagles set the quarterback market, and set the stage for their future, by making Jalen Hurts the highest-paid player in NFL history on April 17. There should be few bigger fans of the deal than Lamar Jackson.
General manager Howie Roseman and Hurts agreed to terms on a colossal five-year contract extension worth $255 million, which includes $179.3 million fully guaranteed and a full no-trade clause. Jackson is certainly an interested observer.
Opinions are split inside the NFL about just how much Hurts’ new deal impacts Jackson’s value, or how the Ravens ultimately come to value him after exercising the non-exclusive franchise tag on the 2019 MVP back in March.
“I could actually see a shorter fully-guaranteed deal [for Lamar],” a high-profile agent with multiple starting quarterback clients told Heavy, on the condition of anonymity to speak freely. “Now, his deal will be around Hurts’, but will look better on paper. Remember, teams always pay more by waiting.”
Former NFL GM Suggests Jalen Hurts’ Deal Has ‘Little Impact’ on Lamar Jackson
Roseman and the Eagles beat the likes of Jackson, with the Ravens or another team willing to surrender two first-round picks to sign him to an offer sheet Baltimore doesn’t match to a deal. Same goes for the Cincinnati Bengals and Joe Burrow, along with Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers, to simultaneously award Hurts without paying the premium that comes with allowing other marquee players to sign their deal first.
Jackson has appeared in only 12 games each of the past two seasons, passing for 2,242 yards with 17 touchdowns to 7 interceptions in 2022, while adding 764 rushing yards and 3 more scores.
“Whatever Lamar is asking for, this Hurts deal helps him,” a league source tells Heavy. “Lamar is a better quarterback, with a larger body of work, and Hurts did an extremely team-friendly deal after one really good season.”
Hurts played his way into the MVP conversation in 2022, completing a career-high 66.5 percent of his passes for 3,701 yards with 22 touchdowns to 6 interceptions, while rushing for 760 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Multiple current and former executives, though, suggest that Hurts’ new deal might not impact Jackson’s ongoing negotiations, because there is little precedent for an extension of this magnitude being negotiated without an agent.
“I think this has little impact on Lamar,” former NFL Executive of the Year and current Heavy contributor Randy Mueller said. “The Ravens have valued him the best way they see fit. Another deal should not change their way of thinking.”
July 15 Deadline Set for Ravens, Lamar Jackson
If Jackson plays under the franchise tag this upcoming season, he’d collect $32.4 million for the 2023 campaign. Jackson and the Ravens have until July 15 to agree to terms on a long-term contract. But, after requesting a trade back in March, whether Jackson is truly committed to receiving a fully guaranteed contract could dictate whether a deal gets done with the Ravens.
There has been conflicting reporting over whether Jackson is seeking a fully guaranteed deal, and Hurts’ eye-popping total value of his deal likely doesn’t preclude either side from reaching some sort of consensus. Especially because Hurts led the Eagles to a Super Bowl berth in his second season as a starter, while Jackson is just 1-3 in the postseason.
But, Jackson and the Ravens could use the framework of both Hurts’ total APY and the guaranteed portion of that deal as a framework for their negotiations.
“If Lamar can get a fully guaranteed shorter deal than Hurts,” the agent suggests. “It would be for less money than Jalen’s.”