The NFL offseason is here for most teams, like the Las Vegas Raiders, and so is the trade rumor mill, with speculation coming from everywhere. One player with a trade link to the Silver and Black is Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson.
On Jan. 20, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler published an NFL executive predictions piece, including one from an NFL personnel evaluator predicting the Raiders trading for Jackson.
“It just seems like there’s been some consternation there with Lamar and the Ravens, and this would be the ultimate Mark Davis move,” an NFL personnel evaluator said. “I’m not even convinced everybody with Vegas would be on board with it but it would instantly solve their quarterback problems.”
Despite this prediction from an NFL executive who’s plugged into the league, ESPN NFL analyst Ryan Clark doesn’t see the Ravens trading Jackson, who is in need of a new contract.
“Lamar Jackson has been Lamar Jackson no matter who the coach is,” Clark said on the Jan. 23 edition of “First Take.” “The reason that John Harbaugh is gone is [that] everyone realizes Lamar Jackson’s greatness, his skill, his talent, even his ability to lead and galvanize players in the way people gravitate toward him.
“But they were like, Wait, you can’t win the Championship with Lamar Jackson. You keep falling short with Lamar Jackson… Lamar Jackson ain’t going nowhere. If this team doesn’t play well in the next two years, they’ll get another head coach as long as Lamar Jackson is healthy and he can be himself.”
Raiders Shouldn’t Entertain Idea of Lamar Jackson Trade
Jackson is arguably one of the better QBs in the NFL and a franchise player. However, any potential move for Jackson would likely involve the No. 1 pick, and former Raiders offensive lineman Lincoln Kennedy said there’s no way he’d trade the top selection for the Ravens star.
“It’s hell to the nah,“ Kennedy said on the Jan. 20 edition of the “Locked On Raiders“ podcast. “The thing is that I’ve seen some good times out of Lamar Jackson, but I think he’s taken some hellacious hits over his career… I’ve seen Lamar Jackson take some hits, and I do think he’s past his prime in the sense [that] if you’re going to make a trade for him of this magnitude, you’re not going to get what you want on the other end.”
Raiders Don’t Fit Lamar Jackson’s Window to Win
Moreover, with the Raiders needing help at so many positions after a 3-14 2025 season, Jackson can’t wave a magic wand and make Las Vegas better. The Ravens QB is also 29, and Kennedy wonders whether a trade for a signal-caller at that age would fit the Las Vegas timeline, as they need to rebuild from the ground up.
“You’ve got to have a system that’s conducive to someone like Jackson’s skill set, and that’s a big change for where the Raiders are right now,“ Kennedy added. “… I would not even entertain this idea. I’m not trying to make it make light of the situation.
“I know the Raiders are in a position where they need help. Granted, and I’m saying Lamar Jackson is an MVP candidate and MVP player and has done that success, but hell to the nah. I do not make that trade.”
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