Lamar Jackson turned down Jalen Hurts money because he’s “fixated” on getting the type of guaranteed contract Deshaun Watson received from the Cleveland Browns in 2022, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Hurts got paid by the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday, April 17, receiving a contract with $179.304 million guaranteed, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, marginally more than what the Baltimore Ravens offered Jackson back in September.
Pelissero revealed, “the contract offer that the Ravens made to Lamar Jackson had very similar average per year, in terms of $50-plus million on a per-year basis, and both the cash flow and the guarantees that the Ravens offered Lamar at that time I’m told, were stronger than what Jalen Hurts got in this contract today.”
What impact does Jalen Hurts’ five-year, $255 million contract extension have on Lamar Jackson’s negotiations? Short answer: probably not much, considering what the #Ravens have already offered. From NFL NOW on @nflnetwork
Pelissero believes Hurts getting paid “has little to no bearing” on Jackson’s negotiations with the Ravens. Instead, Pelissero says Jackson remains “dead set on one contract structure, which is a full guarantee, of course at the top of the market, but more similar to the type of deal that Deshaun Watson got from Cleveland.”
Pelissero’s colleague Ian Rapoport provided clarity on what exactly Jackson was offered last year:
Jackson’s right to know his worth, but it’s becoming increasingly clear the Ravens have worked hard to at least meet him halfway.
Ravens Have Given Lamar Jackson Some of What He Wants
Pelissero doesn’t see an end to the contract standoff between Jackson and the Ravens until the team meets those demands regarding full guarantees. It places general manager Eric DeCosta in a bind, given how important Jackson is to the team’s success.
Without being able to give Jackson the contract he wants, the Ravens have been left to trust he’ll play on the non-exclusive franchise tag in 2023. The only incentives DeCosta has been able to offer are moves designed to improve the talent around Jackson.
Signing Odell Beckham Jr. to an expensive, one-year deal that included a $13 million signing bonus, in free agency was seen as a move to placate Jackson. The franchise quarterback even demanded the Ravens acquire Beckham and DeAndre Hopkins, according to former Browns’ GM Michael Lombardi, speaking on The Lombardi Line (h/t Ravens Vault co-host Sarah Ellison).
Former NFL executive Michael Lombardi: “I was told reliably by somebody who is involved that Lamar [Jackson] told [the Ravens] in a conversation, ‘Get Hopkins and get Beckham, and then we can talk.’ And the club went back to him and said, ‘Look, we can’t get Hopkins and Beckham.…
The Ravens have been willing to give Jackson some of what he wants, short of matching or exceeding Watson’s deal with the Browns. That contract further inflated an already bloated QB market, but the Ravens deserve credit for sticking to a line regarding what they’re willing to pay.
Especially since other teams like the Eagles were content to give their own star signal-caller less than Watson.
Jalen Hurts Deal Should Be a Wake-Up Call for Lamar Jackson
If the Eagles would’t pay Hurts Watson money, it’s time for Jackson to revise his expectations. Teams around the NFL don’t want to allow the fully guaranteed contract Watson got to become the norm for those playing football’s most important position.
Rubber stamping every year of a deal is a risk with any player, but especially one with Jackson’s injury history. He’s missed 11 games the last two seasons with ankle and knee injuries.
The Ravens went 2-9 without Jackson, so they know his value, but they also know there’s ample reason to set limits in contract talks. What this situation needs is a compromise by Jackson to help facilitate a conclusion.
One way it might work is if the Ravens will guarantee three out of five years and increase their up-front cash at least above what Hurts received. Then Jackson would be wise to finally accept the offer and stay where he’s wanted.
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Ravens Offered Lamar Jackson ‘Very Similar’ Contract to Latest QB Megadeal: Report