Will Lamar Jackson be in a Ravens uniform for the rest of his career?
That's a question fans never would think to ask.
But still, Jackson has not yet agreed on a long-term deal with the Ravens and many speculate what the future holds.
Some might ask....how did we get here?
We go back to Jackson's MVP seasonas a Raven in 2019. He threw for 3,127 passing yards and posted a 113.3 passer rating.
Jackson also made history as he rushed for 1,206 yards breaking Michael Vick's single season rushing record for a quarterback. He was the youngest player ever to win MVP.
Baltimore had the number 1 scoring offense under Jackson that year as they scored 33.2 points per game.
The Ravens finished 14-2 and did not progress far in the postseason losing to the Titans in the AFC Divisional Round.
In 2020, they get their redemption against the Titans beating them 20-13 in the Wildcard, but lose to the Buffalo Bills 17-3 in the Divisional, Jackson threw for 162 yards and threw an interception.
2021 was a rough season for the Ravens. Jackson suffered an ankle injury in the Ravens' last division meeting against the Browns. He did not return in that game.
The Ravens lost the last 4 games after that, ending the season with an 8-9 record, missing the postseason.
Since starting for the Ravens, Jackson is 49-21, which is among one of the best starts for any quarterback in NFL history.
In March 2022, quarterback Deshaun Watson was traded from the Houston Texans to the Cleveland Browns, which led to him signing a 6 year $230,000,000 fully guaranteed contract.
The deal reset the quarterback market.
Coming into the 2022 regular season, the Ravens and Lamar Jackson did not come into an agreement as far a contract extension, which fans speculate was because of Watson's deal.
According to ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter, Jackson was offered a 3-year deal which included guarantees worth up to $200 million.
He still went on to play that season even with many media personnel speaking against playing without a contract.
According to multiple reports at the time, Lamar wanted more money than what Watson was given in his contract.
Jackson later denied those claims during his postgame presser against the New York Jets where the Ravens won 24-9.
Lamar was playing like his usual self throughout the season, until another injury sidelined him during his game against the Broncos.
The injury kept Jackson out of the lineup for the last 5 weeks of the season, the Ravens were 2-3 in those games.
They lost to the Cincinnati Bengals in their Wildcard matchup.
Since a deal has not yet been reached, the Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson, allowing him to speak to other teams, but also allowing the Ravens to match any offer that was given to him.
Even with that, many teams reportedly came out saying that they will not pursue Jackson and give him an offer.
Those teams included:
- The Atlanta Falcons;
- Carolina Panthers;
- Miami Dolphins;
- Washington Commanders;
- and the Las Vegas Raiders
Ravens General Manager Eric Decosta still believes that both sides will come to an agreement and get a deal done.
Fans are on both sides of the spectrum when it comes to Jackson. Some say to keep him no matter what, others say that with Jackson's injury scares the Ravens should look elsewhere at quarterback.
Jackson will be able to explore his options on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m.
