Lamar Jackson will play the 2022 season without an extension in tow, as the Ravens announced on Friday.
It's clear the fifth-year quarterback is betting on himself to prove he is worth a contract on par with the NFL's other elite quarterbacks. But what kind of contract did Jackson turn down?
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, Jackson declined an extension that had more guaranteed money than Russell Wilson's ($124 million) and Kyler Murray's ($103.3 million) new deals and was comparable to Aaron Rodgers' in average annual payout ($49 million compared to Rodgers' $50 million).
Rapoport reported the issue with Jackson's contract negotiations have to do with that guaranteed money: The quarterback reportedly sought a deal that was closer to Deshaun Watson's, which included $230 million guaranteed.
MORE: Lamar Jackson contract situation, explained
Chris Mortensen of ESPN also reported the contract Jackson turned down exceeded $290 million in terms of total value. Mortensen likewise reported that Jackson sought higher guarantees.
Moreover, Mortensen reported that Jackson — who does not have an agent and is representing himself — sought counsel from the NFLPA on whether he should accept the Ravens' offer. The contract also had a de-escalation clause if he did not attend a certain percentage of offseason workouts.
Jackson received active counsel from the NFLPA at the highest levels and the union advised that based on performance and age (25) he was justified to demand a fully guaranteed contract if that's what he wanted, sources added.
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) September 11, 2022
And so, Jackson will play his fifth-year option with $23 million before revisiting contract talks following the season. If he and the Ravens can't agree to contract terms again, Baltimore will likely consider placing the franchise tag on him in 2023 and 2024, which would net him roughly $100 million over two seasons.
Independent reporter Dov Kleiman, citing Fox's Jay Glazer, reported the team would not let Jackson leave via free agency next offseason:
The #Ravens plan to use the franchise tag on Lamar Jackson at the end of the season if they can't reach a new deal, per @JayGlazer
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 11, 2022
Obvious move, they won't let him get away.
At that point, Mortensen reported, Jackson would use his leverage to get a guaranteed contract — his preference — or otherwise entertain options from other teams.
