Ravens unlikely to extend Lamar Jackson before the 2022 season

Another day, another update about the Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson’s contract situation. This time, much like the previous times, it isn’t necessarily a positive update.

ESPN’s Jamison Hensley reported on Wednesday that there was “not a lot of optimism” that the two sides would be able to agree to terms on an extension before the start of the 2022 season.

Perhaps most alarmingly, Jackson is still yet to engage in talks with the Ravens, per Hensley. Time is running out for Jackson and the Ravens to reach an agreement, and it seems very unlikely they do now.

That leaves the organization with a few options — none of which are particularly appealing. The Ravens still believe they will eventually reach an extension with Jackson. There’s no reason to believe he should be going anywhere.

Nonetheless, the longer this situation drags on, the more uncertainty there’s bound to be.

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson is betting on himself in 2022

In essence, Jackson is betting on not only himself but the QB market. He’s aware that a monster 2022 season will boost his price tag exponentially, and he’s also aware that the quarterback market continues to explode offseason.

The latter is a safe bet. With every new top quarterback that gets paid, the price for other top QBs only goes up. The former, however, is a more risky wager.

Jackson knows that he’s coming off the worst statistical season of his career. After a hot start that saw him emerge as an early MVP candidate, Jackson faltered before going down with an ankle injury that sidelined him for the final few weeks of the year.

His value, while not at an all-time low, certainly isn’t at an all-time high. He’s looking to change that with a bounce-back season in 2022.

That, at least on the surface, appears to be why Jackson is waiting to engage in contract talks. But no one really knows his motives. As team owner Steve Bisciotti said back in March, Jackson’s a “unique cat.”

Jackson doesn’t have an agent. He’s his own person. The extension process was likely never going to be an easy one, and it was made more complicated by Jackson’s disappointing 2021 season.

It still feels inevitable that the two sides will eventually reach an extension, but at this stage, it’s far from a formality.