Report: Ravens expected to explore Lamar Jackson contract extension in offseason

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has clearly checked all the boxes the team could possibly expect from him, especially after picking up his first playoff win with a 20-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans last week. Whenever the offseason begins for the Ravens, they’re expected to start negotiations on Jackson’s contract extension, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Jackson has been phenomenal since being selected with the 32nd pick in the 2018 NFL draft. He’s shattered records, created whole new milestones, and become the league’s MVP thanks to his electric ability on the field. Though Jackson has yet to win a Super Bowl — Baltimore is still in the playoffs at the time of writing this — he’s rightfully earned a huge contract extension as the team continues to build around him and push for a championship.

It’s tough to say where the bar is set. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes signed a record-setting deal in the offseason but was also fresh off winning Super Bowl LIV. While Jackson has been outstanding, he falls short of Mahomes’ passing stats and acknowledged he needed to win a Super Bowl before commanding that type of money. But quarterback contracts don’t often follow a ton of logic, with deals typically one-upping the previous high simply because of how important the position is instead of using a player’s talent and success to dictate numbers.

Under Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta, the team has often been able to get contract extensions done early to the benefit of both Baltimore and the player. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley and cornerback Marlon Humphrey signed contract extensions this season, keeping two star players around for the foreseeable future at reasonable cap hits. Getting a head start on contract talks makes a ton of sense considering Jackson represents himself. Without a typical agent overseeing the process, getting a deal done could prove difficult if Jackson and the team can’t get on the same page.

Getting a deal done this offseason could very well be in both the team and Jackson’s best interest as well. Other quarterbacks like Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield, Tom Brady, and Dak Prescott are up for contract extensions over the next two years, which should push the market value through the roof. At the same time, all it takes is one injury or bad performance to tank a player’s value.

We’ll see if DeCosta can once again pull off some contract magic. But with each playoff game Jackson wins, his value continues to skyrocket.