Ravens should match the Kyler Murray deal right now, per PFT’s Mike Florio

In the aftermath of Kyler Murray’s extension, there’s no indication that the Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson are close to getting a deal done.

Given the inflating quarterback market, the Ravens would want to re-sign Jackson sooner rather than later, but Jackson has all the reason to bet on himself and serve as his own agent in these negotiations.

In 2022, Jackson will likely play out the rest of his rookie contract; his future after this season, however, remains up in the air.

The Arizona Cardinals just gave Kyler Murray a five-year, $230.5 million dollar contract, which is a massive extension considering Murray isn’t viewed by many as a top-10 quarterback in the league. The Cardinals did what they believed they had to do to make Murray happy and keep their franchise quarterback around for the long term.

Should the Ravens try to offer Jackson the same deal to lock him up?

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio believes Baltimore should get Jackson to agree to the same terms and maybe sweeten the pot a bit:

"“The Ravens should kick in an extra $500,000 to the five-year contract, making it a five-year, $231 million extension. New-money average of $46.2 million per year. Jackson gets $100,000 more per year in new money than Murray, who got $100,000 more per year in new money than Watson.It’s a win-win for the Ravens and Jackson.”"

Baltimore Ravens could offer Jackson what the Cardinals offered Kyler Murray

Of course, it’s not as simple as duplicating Murray’s contract and putting a pen in Jackson’s hand.

Everyone — including Jackson — knows that the quarterback price tag will continue to increase in the future as Murray is just one of many quarterbacks who got their bag this offseason.

Deshaun Watson’s mega-extension stands out for setting a record for the most amount of guaranteed money included in a contract in NFL history, though it’s unlikely Jackson will receive anywhere close to that number. Jackson has leverage, but not that much leverage.

Very little on Jackson’s contract dealings has been reported from Ravens camp, and the exact reasons as to why Jackson is holding out remain unclear.

It’s in the Ravens’ best interests to extend Jackson right now, yet Jackson could potentially make even more money by waiting until next offseason assuming he doesn’t suffer any injuries.

Florio’s suggestion sounds feasible in theory, but at the end of the day, the ball is in Jackson’s court.

Jackson’s future with the Ravens will continue to be shrouded with rumors and speculation until he finally gets a deal done. That could happen by the end of this offseason, but chances are Jackson wants to keep betting on himself — it’s working, after all.