When it boils down to it, the Baltimore Ravens have paid quarterback Lamar Jackson a lot of money to be great in the regular season. Which isn’t really what you pay NFL quarterbacks for.
Jackson’s skill set, always based around his ability to run, will only continue to diminish as he gets older. It’s something that was on full display this year as the Ravens went from Super Bowl contenders to finishing with an 8-9 record and missed the playoffs and Jackson looked decidedly mortal, including missing 4 games due to injuries.
Once the Ravens hire a new head coach, the more pressing issue will be a new contract for Jackson, who signed a 5-year, $260 million extension before the 2023 season but is already in line for another deal.
While owner Steve Bisciotti has been open about wanting to bring Jackson back on another deal, the last time contract talks went down with Jackson it proved to be one of the more contentious in recent NFL history. It also led to findings of collusion between NFL owners to not even attempt to sign Jackson when he became a restricted free agent.
With that in mind, maybe it’s not as much of a no-brainer Jackson comes back to the Ravens in 2026 and beyond. It becomes more about what his value could be on the trade market — something Jackson would have to approve. Serving as his own agent, he actually negotiated a no-trade clause into his last deal.
If the Ravens can find the right trade partner, however, they might be in line for a blockbuster deal that could rewire their entire franchise.
Dolphins Might Mortgage Future for Jackson
One anonymous NFL executive proposed a blockbuster trade to The Athletic’s Mike Sando between the Miami Dolphins — essentially Jackson’s hometown team — and the Ravens that would change the futures of both teams.
In this deal, the Ravens get Pro Bowl quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and 4 first round picks in exchange for Jackson.
“Bisciotti naturally said he wants Jackson to be his quarterback, adding he thinks the sides can get a contract extension done this offseason, but the last negotiation was complicated,” Sando wrote. “What will Bisciotti’s instincts tell him about Jackson, now 29, if contract talks stall again, or if Jackson battles more injuries, or if the team continues to falter in the postseason? ‘Does a 32-year-old Lamar Jackson scare you?’ an exec from another team said. ‘If you are Baltimore, would you trade Lamar to Miami for Tua (Tagovailoa) and four ones? You get something for taking Tua’s deal off their hands. I 100 percent would trade him.’ ”
One Hold Up: Tua’s Ridiculous, Awful Contract
The Dolphins signed Tagovailoa to one of the worst contracts in NFL history with a 4-year, $212.4 million contract extension in July 2024. They would no doubt like to cut the former first round pick if not for the staggering $99.2 million dead cap hit they would incur in 2026.
For the Ravens, a trade for Tagovailoa, who made the Pro Bowl and led the NFL in passing in 2023, essentially means committing to him as their quarterback in 2026 with an eye to cutting bait in 2027, when the dead cap hit becomes a paltry $34.8 million. Taking on his contract is essentially where the extra 2 first round picks from the Dolphins comes in. That’s the payoff.
Trade Pitch Swaps Ravens QB Lamar Jackson for 4 First Rounders, Pro Bowl QB