Getty Lamar Jackson must "compromise" before he can sign any new contract from the Ravens.
Lamar Jackson can get his new contract from the Baltimore Ravens, provided he’s ready to “compromise” on one important requirement. That’s the view of Joe Banner, former Philadelphia Eagles president, Cleveland Browns CEO and front-office consultant for the Atlanta Falcons.
Writing for The 33rd Team, Banner believes the delay in a deal being agreed will only be ended if Jackson is willing to say “this is good enough and take a deal that is likely to be record-setting, even if he doesn’t get it 100 percent fully guaranteed.”
Jackson resisting a fully guaranteed contract isn’t so straight-forward. Not when he’s already rejected one offer based on how much cash was assured. Not when the quarterback market has recently been dominated by mega-money and guaranteed deals.
Jackson Knows What He Wants
Banner identified Deshaun Watson getting $230 million guaranteed by the Browns as a sticking point for Jackson and the Ravens: “The hang-up in Jackson’s current negotiations is reportedly the guaranteed money. Most of the recent extensions were structured as old-fashioned contracts with a large portion of the deal guaranteed, but not all of it. Watson’s fully guaranteed $230 million deal has opened up a can of worms for teams with quarterbacks at the very top of the market, like the Ravens. Jackson, a former league MVP, is likely eyeing the same guaranteed structure Watson received.”
The idea Jackson wants Watson-like money has credence after the former walked away from a bumper Ravens offer back in September. He was in line to earn “between $160-$180 million,” according to ESPN’s Dianna Russini.
That figure was well below what the Browns rubber stamped for Watson. Yet, like Russell Wilson of the Denver Broncos and Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals, Watson has hardly merited all that cash.
He’s thrown two touchdowns, three interceptions and taken eight sacks since returning from an 11-game suspension following allegations of sexual misconduct. Wilson’s posted a modest 82.6 rating and committed 10 turnovers, while Murray appeared in only 11 games and averaged just 6.1 yards per attempt before suffering a torn ACL.
As For The Win’s Christian D’Andrea pointed out, Wilson, Murray and Watson could deter a team like the Ravens from offering another guaranteed deal:
congrats to Russell Wilson, Kyler Murray and Deshaun Watson for absolutely destroying Lamar Jackson’s case for massive guarantees on his next contract
That concern is one reason why Banner thinks Jackson next contract won’t be fully guaranteed, even though he’s convinced a compromise will be reached: “My guess is the deal will be for three or four years with most of the money – but not all – guaranteed at signing.”
Banner explained how the Ravens want to keep Jackson and he wants to stay in Baltimore. The amount of guaranteed money isn’t the only factor that might scupper the plan.
Injury History Sure to Feature in Negotiations
Jackson’s injury history is the other notable consideration likely to influence negotiations with the Ravens. General manager Eric DeCosta has to be smart about a signal-caller who has missed 10 games since becoming the full-time starter in 2019.
A PCL injury is the latest problem ailing Jackson, but ironically, his absence only strengthens his case for a new deal. Especially when the Ravens struggle so much without him. The team has a 2-6 record in its last eight games sans Jackson.
His skills as a runner leave Jackson vulnerable to more hits, but those dual-threat talents also strengthen his bargaining position, according to Banner: “Teams that have successfully modelled their entire offense around quarterbacks like Jackson are not going to risk losing their most valuable asset. For this reason, I believe Jackson’s situation is unaffected by his injuries the past two seasons.”
The same sentiment is echoed by former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark. He told ESPN’s Get Up how the Baltimore offense is trash without Jackson, while describing his latest injury, as well as the ankle issue that kept him out of the final five games last season, as things “that could happen to any quarterback.”
“The TRASH that [the Ravens’] offense is without Lamar Jackson is crazy.”
Clark and Banner are right. Jackson’s injury record doesn’t have to thwart his next deal, but his lengthy time on the treatment table is another reason why expecting fully guaranteed money is unrealistic.
It’s a cold, hard fact the Ravens are better off with Jackson than without him. What they need to do is make quick work of a new contract then focus on surrounding him with some marquee wide receivers and fresh options at offensive tackle.
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