To succeed in the NFL, you must make blockbuster moves, and keep your quarterback happy. Well, the Baltimore Ravens already did the first part by trading for pass-rusher Maxx Crosby. Now, their focus is to keep Lamar Jackson happy, and not exactly by bringing him a new weapon.
Lamar Jackson is the tenth-highest-paid quarterback in football and he’s been wanting to adjust his contract for months. Owner Steve Bisciotti wants a new deal for Lamar Jackson too, and he wants to do it before the league year begins to avoid a massive cap hit. Without an extension, Jackson’s cost jumps from $43.5 million to $74.5 million.
If no deal is reached, the Ravens will likely restructure his contract to save money now, but that would only make his 2027 cap hit—the final year of his deal—even more expensive. Hence, the team would face massive problems to make deals.
Who are ahead of Lamar?
While there are some names that one can understand being ahead of Jackson, like Josh Allen or Joe Burrow, the fact is there are other names that are just outrageous. For instance, Brock Purdy, Jared Goff, and Tua Tagovailoa earning more than Jackson must really stink for the Ravens QB. This is the list of highest-paid QBs in the NFL according to Spotrac.
Jackson has the leverage here. No one would want to lose a top-tier QB in the middle of his prime, and Jackson can look at that list and say “I have two MVPs, the other nine have one MVP combined.”How much of an adjustment will be done remains to be seen, but the clock is ticking.
It’s deserved, but is it wise?
No one will deny Lamar Jackson should always be in the higher half of that list. However, is it wise? Notice, there is no Patrick Mahomes there. Why? He prioritized winning more than getting paid. Mahomes has three rings already, the whole top 10 list has zero. In fact, only three of those have even played in a Super Bowl (Purdy, Goff, and Burrow).
Tom Brady was never one of the highest-paid QBs. He earned his good money, but he wanted to keep team-friendly deals in place so the roster could be as good as possible to compete for Super Bowls. So, yes, Lamar is in his right to look for more money, but is it in his best interest regarding winning in the NFL? Remember, the Ravens just traded for Maxx Crosby, so the pressure is on.