It’s open season on Lamar Jackson as the Baltimore Ravens have placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on the quarterback.
Jackson, who does not have an agent, has rejected all of Baltimore’s offers to date and the parties have been at loggerheads over a new deal for quite some time now. It was hoped that a contract could be ironed out prior to Tuesday’s tag deadline, according to general manager Eric DeCosta, but that did not turn out to be the case.
The tag permits the quarterback to speak to other teams but the Ravens will have the option to match any offer sheet presented. Should they opt not to do so, they will end up with two first-round picks.
According to Jason LaCanfora of the Washington Post, there are 10 teams in the NFL who could realistically sign Jackson to an offer sheet, including the New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons, Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers.
There seems to be a hesitancy over signing Jackson, though. The Falcons, though the most heavily-linked team, exited the conversation shortly after the player was tagged. They’re reportedly one of five teams to pull out of the race, feeding the rumors of collusion among NFL teams with the goal of ensuring that no one else ends up getting a Deshaun Watson-type deal.
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The Jets, meanwhile, are pursuing Aaron Rodgers but It’s believed that they could explore a move for Jackson if they miss out on the veteran QB.
