The Lamar Jackson saga rolls on with no conclusion in sight. It’s been over a month since the Baltimore Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson, and just over a week since he revealed that he’d previously requested a trade prior to that. With little progress made on a potential deal elsewhere, it’s starting to look more and more like Jackson will remain with the Ravens in 2023.
So often in sports, and in life, the most probable option is the one that ultimately plays out. Variables exist and sometimes lead us on a different path, but for the most part, what was shall be.
Just before John Harbaugh sat down to talk to reporters at the annual NFL owners meeting, Jackson shocked the league and the football world as a whole by going public with his trade request, noting that he had requested a trade on March 2nd, only a few days before the Ravens slapped the tag on him. That was over a month ago.
Since then, a number of quarterback-needy teams publicly distanced themselves from Jackson, and the trail has gone cold. That’s to be expected. Trades take time and teams are probably doing their due diligence before coming to the table with anything concrete.
It’s difficult to believe that there are teams that have the need at quarterback who wouldn’t be interested in Jackson. He’s one of the five or six best quarterbacks in the league, and surely the most electrifying player at the position. He’s also just 26 years old and a former MVP.
The sticking point has likely been the compensation involved. Any potential trade is going to involve two first-round picks if the Ravens don’t match the offer sheet pitched to Jackson. And of course, there are parameters to work out a trade outside of those boundaries.
On top of that, there’s the extension that’ll need to be sorted out as well. Whether or not Jackson wants or gets a fully-guaranteed contract, he’ll certainly get a large chunk of guaranteed money and one of the largest contracts of all time coming his way. Deservedly so, it should be said.
While there’s every chance of a team making a trade for Jackson, those odds grow slimmer with every passing day. The Ravens have always maintained they want Jackson back – even if things got a little weird when he was brought up in a press conference recently – so it stands to reason that even if Jackson wants a trade, it doesn’t mean he’s getting one.
The Ravens, from their perspective, can’t afford to lose Jackson. Regardless of what compensation they get, or how comfortable they feel taking a quarterback in the draft. They’re not going to be Jackson’s level. It’s asking too much. The Ravens front office and coaching staff will be under no illusions when it comes to that. Keeping him is the priority, they just have to find a middle ground to get a deal done.
From Jackson’s point of view, despite what has been said and his intent of finding a trade partner, staying in Baltimore makes the most sense as well. He knows the team, the building, and the front office. Continuity is important, and Jackson has stated that he wants to win a championship with the Ravens.
There’s also history to take into account too. Freedom of movement is becoming more and more frequent among NFL players and trades are becoming a regular part of programming. But quarterbacks – or at least the star ones – generally don’t hit the market often or move teams with any sort of regularity. Especially at Jackson’s age.
The Ravens fumbled the bag when it came to extending Jackson early on, but they’re still in pole position to retain the 2019 MVP, even if he’s allowed to test the market. Trade talks are likely ongoing and will be for some time leading up to the draft. But the longer we wait, the likelier it seems Jackson will still be in a Ravens uniform in 2023.
-Thomas Valentine
Twitter: @tvalentinesport
Photo: MarylandGov Pics. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.