Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens were unable to agree on a contract extension prior to the season, and we now know a bit more about the offer that the former MVP turned down.
The Ravens offered Jackson a six-year deal worth around $250 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen. The contract would have paid Jackson a higher annual salary and included more guaranteed money than the extensions Kyler Murray and Russell Wilson signed with the Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos, respectively. Jackson reportedly wanted a fully guaranteed contract like the $230 million deal Deshaun Watson got from the Cleveland Browns, which led to negotiations being put on hold.
Murray signed a $230.5 million deal with the Cardinals that includes a $46 million salary and $189 million guaranteed. Wilsons $242 million extension with Denver averages $48.5 million per year with a lower guarantee — $161 million.
Mortensen was told that Baltimore’s offer to Jackson included $133 million guaranteed at signing, which is more than Wilson’s $124 million and Murray’s $103.3 million.
Jackson does not have an agent, which has made negotiations more complicated. The 25-year-old was advised by the NFL Players Association that he was justified in seeking a fully guaranteed contract, according to ESPN.
Watson’s fully guaranteed contract has widely been viewed as an outlier. Team owners were not happy with the Browns for giving the quarterback that deal. Jackson’s stance in negotiations with the Ravens helps illustrate why.
