Ravens fans want the team's front office to know they would like to see Lamar Jackson get paid. So does the Baltimore quarterback.
After leading the Ravens to a 27-22 win over the Buccaneers on "Thursday Night Football," Jackson spotted a fan with a sign that read "Pay 'Em Now" and included Jackson's No. 8.
Not only did Jackson hold the sign up for everyone to see, he also autographed it. The verbiage refers to Jackson being a free agent at the end of the season and the fan(s) wanting to see him get his big payday.
Lamar Jackson holding up a sign with a clear message... 💰💰 pic.twitter.com/4l76eOvdCK
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 28, 2022
Jackson will be in need of a new contract after this year. His rookie deal expires at the end of the 2022 season. The two sides tried before the season to get a deal done, but could not reach an agreement. There was a report during the preseason that Jackson turned down a five-year extension offer worth over $250 million, with $133 million guaranteed.
The QB's performance against the Bucs certainly will help him in negotiations. Not only did Jackson defeat Tom Brady to improve to 2-0 all time against the GOAT, the fifth-year pro had one of his most efficient passing games, completing 71.1 percent of his passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns, and he added 43 rushing yards. It was only the second time this season Jackson completed over 70 percent of his passes and his first multiple TD-pass game since Sept. 25 against the Patriots.
Jackson is once again proving to be a danger with his arm and his legs. While he sits 20th in the league in passing yards (1,397), he's fourth in passing TDs (13), and his 510 rushing yards are ranked fifth in the league.
MORE: NFL's highest-paid quarterbacks in 2022
The Ravens improved to 5-3 with the win and are in first place in the AFC North. Jackson continuing to perform the way he has in the first half of the season will not only result in more wins for Baltimore but also send the price of his next contract higher and higher.
Lamar Jackson contract details
Jackson is playing on the final year of his rookie contract that he signed with the Ravens after the 2018 NFL Draft. The first four years of Jackson's contract were worth $9.5 million, while the final year — a fifth-year option — is worth just over $23 million.
Of his original deal, $7.6 million was guaranteed. As a part of the contract, Jackson received a signing bonus of just under $5 million.
Below is a breakdown of Jackson's contract, per Spotrac.com:
| Year | Base salary | Signing bonus | Cap hit |
| 2018 | $480,000 | $1,242,117 | $1,722,117 |
| 2019 | $910,529 | $1,242,117 | $2,152,646 |
| 2020 | $1,341,059 | $1,242,117 | $2,583,176 |
| 2021 | $1,771,588 | $1,242,120 | $3,013,708 |
| 2022 | $23,016,000 | $0 | $23,016,000 |
His $23 million contract value for 2022 ranks 34th in the league in total cash, per Spotrac, but there's still no doubting that Jackson is underpaid.
