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The Las Vegas Raiders went into the 2023 offseason hoping to sign quarterback Tom Brady but once he retired, plans had to change. The team eventually landed on Jimmy Garoppolo but that was almost not the case.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Raiders were one of two teams to reach out about Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
“But last offseason, there weren’t any other teams that made a major push to sign Jackson, and only a couple appeared to have expressed mild interest in signing the star quarterback to an offer sheet,” Schefter wrote in a December 30 column.
“The two teams known to have inquired about Jackson’s services were the Las Vegas Raiders and Carolina Panthers, according to league sources, but neither team got overly aggressive with Jackson, and neither came close to signing him to an offer sheet that the Ravens would have had a chance to match.”
The Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson, which allowed teams to make an offer to the quarterback and if he accepted, the Raiders would’ve had to give up two first-round picks. It may have been worth the asking price as Jackson has already won one MVP in 2019 and is the favorite to win it again this season.
Should Las Vegas Raiders Have Signed Lamar Jackson?
If the Raiders gave Lamar Jackson an offer he liked, the Ravens would’ve had the ability to match the offer, which the quarterback could’ve accepted. That likely played a big reason as to why Las Vegas didn’t take the pursuit too far. Jackson eventually landed a five-year, $260 million contract from Baltimore.
In hindsight, the Raiders should’ve pursued Jackson more aggressively. General manager Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels may still have their jobs if they didn’t commit to Jimmy Garoppolo. A big reason for the Raiders’ struggles this season has been due to quarterback play.
Jackson is still one of the most dynamic players in the NFL and has led the Ravens to an NFL-best 12-3 record. Having him on an offense that features Davante Adams, Josh Jacobs and Jakobi Meyers would’ve been electric. Add that to the fact that the Raiders’ defense has been much improved this season and they likely would’ve been a playoff team with Jackson at quarterback.
Las Vegas Raiders Back to QB Drawing Board
Had the Raiders found a way to get Lamar Jackson to Las Vegas, they wouldn’t have to think about the quarterback position for years to come. Now, the team heads into the 2024 offseason with major questions at quarterback. Jimmy Garoppolo was benched early in the season and will likely be let go once the year is over.
Rookie Aidan O’Connell hasn’t proven that he’s a starting quarterback in the NFL. He projects to be more of a backup in the future. The Raiders will have to address quarterback this offseason and there aren’t any players on the level of Jackson who could be available.
Las Vegas could look to the draft to try and find a franchise quarterback. That’s never a sure thing but there aren’t great options. The other options could be trades for Kyler Murray or Justin Fields.
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