OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Ravens have a little more than four hours to decide on Lamar Jackson's future in Baltimore.
It's no secret the star quarterback is in search of a long-term deal. Jackson and the team have until 4pm Tuesday to hash out an agreement.
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If not, the Ravens have a couple of options. The most ideal would be to Franchise the former MVP.
There are two kinds of 'Franchise Tags.'
The first is what's known as an 'Exclusive Tag' which allows the Ravens to control Jackson's contract rights and any potential trade.
That option could cost the team $45 million.
The alternative would be to place a 'Nonexclusive Tag,' which would be worth $32 million.
In this scenario Jackson would have permission to negotiate with other teams and either seek out a trade or new contract.
The Ravens would then have the opportunity to match the other team's proposed offer, or let him go and obtain two first-round draft picks as return compensation.
General manager Eric DeCosta spoke about the negotiations last week at the NFL Combine.
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"Lamar and I are talking, we met recently. It’s an ongoing discussion, we both understand the urgency of the situation," said DeCosta. "It’s been a good dialogue, a good discussion. I continue to be optimistic and we’ll see where it goes."
DeCosta went on to say the Ravens have four to six different plans of how to approach the situation.
