The Baltimore Ravens are preparing for their season opener against the New York Jets, and Lamar Jackson will not have a new contract in place when he takes the field.
In a statement they issued on Friday, the Ravens announced that they were unable to reach a contract extension with Jackson. The star quarterback does not have an agent and had told the team he was unwilling to negotiate once the season begins.
Statement from General Manager Eric DeCosta. pic.twitter.com/HpaD2ccSp2
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) September 9, 2022
The Ravens say they will rekindle contract talks with Jackson after the season. They can, and likely will, use the franchise tag on him in order to give them more time to work toward an extension.
Jackson has made life much more complicated for both himself and the Ravens by not having an agent. He is said to be seeking a deal similar to the $230 million guaranteed contract the Cleveland Browns gave Deshaun Watson. Baltimore and other teams have shown no willingness to match that outlier of a deal.
The Ravens reportedly made a new offer to Jackson recently, but it obviously wasn’t enough. The former MVP will now take the risk of playing in 2022 without a long-term deal in place.
