Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta shouldn’t be surprised that his latest press conference was dominated by Lamar Jackson questions.
All signs pointed to this offseason being the one where Jackson would sign an extension. Less than two weeks away from the regular season, it doesn’t look like it will. Having been through this song and dance before, we know Jackson won’t be negotiating mid-season either.
However, there’s optimism. In the face of the Jackson inquiries, DeCosta remained steady.
“I think I’m optimistic [about the contract talks]. I feel good about it,” DeCosta said. “I really don’t like to get into details…Lamar and I have a pact. We’re not gonna talk about business publicly.”
DeCosta was composed in his response. No sign of panic, no sign of urgency—he was calm, cool, and collected. Pair that with his optimism, and there's little reason to believe Baltimore is panicking.
Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson contract situation remains promising
We’re really not going to get many updates on Lamar Jackson’s contract until something is agreed upon. That’s just the nature of the negotiations between him and Baltimore’s front office. Still, those words from Eric DeCosta are encouraging.
With the way things are going, it feels like there's a highly realistic path toward Jackson eventually signing another deal.
The Ravens can’t move forward without him at quarterback—he’s truly one of a kind and is a player any organization should be willing to make the league’s highest-paid player. You must pay a two-time MVP quarterback when he’s still performing at his highest level.
And all offseason, it didn’t matter who you asked in Baltimore’s building: they want to make Jackson a Raven for life.
As for Jackson, it looks like he’s in a much better situation than he was in previous years under John Harbaugh and Todd Monken.
He always bought in, but the arrival of Jesse Minter and Declan Doyle might have taken that to another level. Earlier in the offseason, Jackson called the coaching shift a breath of fresh air, and also voiced his enthusiasm for the coaching styles Minter and Doyle are bringing to the table.
Specifically for Doyle, the 30-year-old offensive coordinator is meshing perfectly with Jackson. On Wednesday, Doyle spoke about that relationship.
“He works really hard to get it right. He wants to be coached; he is very coachable," Doyle said. “Our relationship is continuing to develop and continuing to grow.”
All offseason, Jackson has been eager to learn from Doyle, too. From spending countless hours in the film room with his new coach, to switching up his footwork, it’s clear that Jackson is fully bought into what the new coaching staff is building.
Sure, we’ve been here before. Talks with Jackson were a long and prominent part of this past offseason, but ultimately the two sides could only land on a contract rework. With the coaching changes and hopefully a drastically better season, though, the Ravens could have a launching pad to take those negotiations across the finish line.
Add us as a preferred source on Google