Ravens QB Lamar Jackson rejected a contract with $130 million in guarantees
By Justin Fried
The Baltimore Ravens and star quarterback Lamar Jackson were unable to come to terms on an extension prior to the self-imposed deadline this past Friday, but it wasn’t due to a lack of trying.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday that Jackson turned down a pretty hefty contract in the final days leading up to that deadline.
The contract was said to be worth more than $49 million per year in annual new money — a figure that is larger than the average per year money Russell Wilson recently received from the Denver Broncos.
The deal was also said to contain $133 million in guarantees which is more than both Wilson ($124 million) and Kyler Murray ($103.3 million) received in guaranteed money.
Of course, that dollar figure is still well below the $230 million in guarantees that Deshaun Watson received from the Cleveland Browns which may be why Jackson rejected the offer.
Lamar Jackson rejected a fair contract offer from the Ravens
On the surface, this feels like a fair offer from general manager Eric DeCosta and company. It’s certainly reasonable to offer Jackson more total guarantees and a higher average salary than Wilson and Murray.
At the same time, it’s hard to justify any quarterback receiving the contract that Watson did from the Browns. It was an unprecedented deal at the time and one that no team has come close to matching since.
Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti has spoken out about the Watson deal in the past and how it could negatively affect future negotiations.
"“I don’t know that (Watson) should’ve been the first guy to get a fully guaranteed contract. To me, that’s something that is groundbreaking, and it’ll make negotiations harder with others.”"
Bisciotti is feeling the effects of the Watson contract firsthand. Jackson is willing to not only bet on himself but to bet on the ever-growing quarterback market in the hopes that he can receive an even higher deal next offseason.
dark. Next. It’s officially the year of Lamar Jackson and the Ravens
Until then, the Ravens and Jackson will put negotiations aside to focus on a crucial 2022 season.