Despite a great offseason, the Baltimore Ravens' future is still in question. Undoubtedly, Lamar Jackson remains the nucleus of this team, and unfortunately, they have failed to resolve his contract situation up to this point.
Sure, the Ravens restructured Jackson’s deal, but they only pushed the issue another year down the line. In fact, the cap hit has become an even bigger problem at $84.34 million in 2027. Something needs to give in the coming year.
As a result of that offseason failure, the doubts about Jackson’s future have gotten louder. That includes trade talks. FanSided’s Wynston Wilcox was the most recent NFL writer to put together a mock trade, and he has the Ravens sending Jackson to the Atlanta Falcons. The return?
- QB Michael Penix Jr.
- 2027 First-Round Pick
- 2028 First-Round Pick
- 2027 Third-Round Pick
That’s not exactly the most impressive trade package for a two-time MVP.
NFL writer’s Lamar Jackson trade proposal would be franchise-altering disaster for Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens simply can’t afford to put themselves in a situation where they might have to entertain trades like that for Lamar Jackson, and Wynston Wilcox admits that in his article. However, the contract situation could get really bad, really quickly. If it worsens to the point of no return, he offers the Falcons as an ideal trade partner.
"“Michael Penix Jr. is the linchpin of this deal. The Ravens get a jump on a replacement for Jackson while being open to looking elsewhere, knowing that Penix might not be the answer they need. He can be a short term solution until they figure out what to do moving forward.”"Wynston Wilcox, FanSided
While it certainly makes sense for Atlanta (When would a move like this not make sense for a team searching for a franchise quarterback?), it shouldn’t even come close on the Ravens’ side of things. At face value, two first-round picks, a third-round pick, and a first-round quarterback taken two years ago could come close, but in reality, the value doesn't match what the Ravens have in Jackson.
Let's start with a quarterback that Baltimore would receive: Michael Penix Jr. Penix has promise. He was selected with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and through 14 games in his career, he has showcased a cannon arm that could develop into a game-changing quality. However, the fact that it’s only 14 games is the problem.
Penix already dealt with countless injuries in college. He tore his ACL twice and suffered two shoulder injuries. Now, in the NFL, he’s already missed seven games, and though he could start in 2026, he’s recovering from yet another ACL tear.
That’s a major risk that the Ravens shouldn’t take if they were to trade Jackson for some reason.
Then there’s the pick compensation. Baltimore should likely be asking for at least three first-round selections—not two. I get it, Penix comes with what could be serious value as a former top-10 pick, but again, he’s been injured year after year. Two first-rounders and a third-rounder in addition to an injury-plagued quarterback is not enough.
And why is it not enough? Well, the Cleveland Browns sent three first-rounders, one third-rounder, and two fourth-rounders to the Houston Texans for Deshaun Watson. Sure, Watson’s contract situation was far better at the time than Jackson’s, but he was also going through a major off-the-field controversy. If the Ravens were to somehow fall short of that compensation, it’d be catastrophic.
If Baltimore were to trade Jackson in general, it’d be catastrophic. You don’t trade a two-time MVP. It’s very difficult to find franchise quarterbacks in this league, and if Eric DeCosta opted to trade Jackson, it’d be a franchise-altering mistake. The organization must extend him.
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