Lamar Jackson has yet to sign a contract extension with the Baltimore Ravens, and John Harbaugh says that is not due to a lack of trying on the team’s end.
During a recent appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show,” Harbaugh shared some candid remarks about the contract negotiations between Jackson and the Ravens — or lack thereof. The coach said Jackson has “got his way of going about things,” which is what people love about him. Harbaugh then indicated that the Ravens have tried to maintain dialogue with Jackson about a potential extension but had no luck.
“In the end, the person gets to decide for themselves, you know? So that’s what Lamar’s doing,” Harbaugh said, as transcribed by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “I think it’s kind of funny and cool and fascinating how everybody wants to talk about it and speculate on it, but it’s really pretty simple, I think. He’s not ready, you know? And when he’s ready, we’ll be ready. And when that happens, we’ll have something.”
Harbaugh added that there have been no meaningful discussions since he, Jackson and Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta sat down at the end of last season. Jackson is entering the final year of his rookie deal, but he seems content to ride things out.
“I do believe Lamar when he tells me that, man, he just wants to be the best quarterback he can be, and that’s what he’s thinking about right now,” Harbaugh said. “He doesn’t think he has to think about his contract. He feels like he’s got time to do it. Yeah, you could argue that one way or the other. But everybody gets to make that decision for themselves. That’s a great thing. That’s his choice, not somebody else’s.”
Jackson may be angling to take the Kirk Cousins approach, which has proven to be quite profitable. Cousins willingly played under the franchise tag in consecutive seasons with Washington before signing a three-year, $84 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings in 2018. While the deal was fairly short-term for a quarterback in his prime, every penny was guaranteed. Perhaps Jackson, who does not have an agent, likes that idea.
Jackson recently blasted one particular narrative surrounding his contract situation.
Photo: Sep 13, 2021; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) reacts against the Las Vegas Raiders during Monday Night Football at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
