The Baltimore Ravens are willing to pay Lamar Jackson, but only if he’s willing to compromise on a certain factor, according to Joe Banner.
Banner is a former president of the Philadelphia Eagles, as well as a CEO for the Cleveland Browns and a front-office consultant for the Atlanta Falcons.
He writes, via the 33RDTeam, that Jackson and the Ravens will only reach a deal if the player agrees that “this is good enough and take a deal that is likely to be record-setting, even if he doesn’t get it 100 percent fully guaranteed.”
There might be some difficulty in getting Jackson to agree to that, considering the big-money market for top quarterbacks in the NFL – plus he has already rejected one offer because of the amount that was guaranteed.
Big QB Contracts Have Become Troublesome For NFL GMs
For the Ravens, Banner says Deshaun Watson having $230 million guaranteed by the Browns is cause for concern. Watson has thrown just two touchdowns while registering three interceptions, as well as getting sacked eight times since he returned from an 11-game suspension.
Other examples come in the form of Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray, who have significantly underperformed since signing bumper deals.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
“The hang-up in Jackson’s current negotiations is reportedly the guaranteed money,” Banner continued.
“Most of the recent extensions were structured as old-fashioned contracts with a large portion of the deal guaranteed, but not all of it. Watson’s fully guaranteed $230 million deal has opened up a can of worms for teams with quarterbacks at the very top of the market, like the Ravens. Jackson, a former league MVP, is likely eyeing the same guaranteed structure Watson received.”
Jackson would be forgiven for believing he’s worth more than all three of the aforementioned quarterbacks. He already walked away from an offer ranging between $160-$180 million earlier this year and, given the market, was well within his rights.
Yet the circumstances surrounding Watson, Wilson, and Murray have made Baltimore understandably hesitant. It could be an interesting 2023 for both parties.
