The Baltimore Ravens got themselves in a mess the last time 2-time NFL MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson had a new contract in his sights — a headline-grabbing process that included accusations of collusion among NFL owners and ended with Jackson signing a 5-year, $260 million contract extension in March 2023.
This next go-round might not have to be as contentious.
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley recently listed Jackson as the top contract extension candidate on the Ravens, predicting he’ll become the highest paid player in the NFL once again.
“Jackson’s salary cap number skyrockets from $43.5 million in 2025 to $74.5 million next year, which makes reducing this hit the priority for Baltimore,” Hensley wrote on December 15. “The Ravens acknowledged last offseason that they had internal discussions about a new deal for Jackson, who represents himself. What will it take to get a new contract?”
By representing himself, Jackson pocketed approximately an extra $4 million with his last contract, which would have otherwise gone to his agent.
“When Lamar gets paid, he’s going to be the highest-paid player in football, just like he was last time,” Ravens head coach Jim Harbaugh said in March 2024. “I think every contract he signs, probably until he decides to hang up his cleats, he’s going to be that guy.”
The Ravens are 7-7 overall headed into a Week 16 home game against the New England Patriots.
Ravens, Jackson Haven’t Seemed on Same Page
Jackson has seemed like a different quarterback in 2025, which might just be due to the fact he’s been playing through injuries all season, including when he missed 3 games with a pulled hamstring early in the season.
In Week 8, before a game against the Chicago Bears, Jackson was listed as a full participant in a Friday practice but reduced to limited in Saturday’s practice and didn’t play in the game. That cost the Ravens a $100,000 fine from the NFL for violating the league’s injury report policy.
It also led to a lot of question about how much Jackson was communicating with his coaches.
“Do (Ravens head coach) John Harbaugh and Lamar Jackson even talk to each other?” Fox Sports host Nick Wright asked during an appearance on “The Bill Simmons Podcast” on Thursday, December 11. ” … Harbaugh was like ‘We’re going to have our quarterback (against the Bears).’ Then he doesn’t come back. And when he does come back he has all these little random injuries that cause him to sit out practices and he’s not the same player he was … I think Lamar is over all of it and he’s checked out and he’s ready for a new regime.”
What Jackson’s New Contract Might Look Like
If we assume Jackson really will become the NFL’s highest paid player with his new contract — and assume that deal gets done this offseason — then we can make some guesses as to what the deal might look like.
The best comparison would be the current highest paid NFL player’s contract with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who signed a 4-year, $240 million contract before the 2024 season that made him the NFL’s first $60 million per year player.
For Jackson, who will have approximately $187.3 million in career earnings following the 2025 season, that could mean a 4-year, $260 million contract extension that pays him an average of $65 million per year.
Raven Predicted to Make History With New Lamar Jackson Contract