The Baltimore Ravens shocked the NFL with their final decision regarding Lamar Jackson. It was a non-exclusive franchise tag for the former MVP after more than two years of negotiations. An agreement couldn't be reached and the team took a suprising path for the future.
Of course, many people wondered why the Ravens didn't lock Lamar Jackson with an exclusive franchise tag. The 26-year old quarterback has been crucial for their offense, but, the history of injuries made Baltimore really cautious. Now, one of the best players in the league is available to transform any franchise.
One of the probable destinations for Lamar Jackson was Atlanta. A team with salary-cap space which seem to be building an extraordinary roster to compete in the NFC. After the departure of Matt Ryan, the Falcons might be just one quarterback away to become a sudden favorite. However, that won't happen. These are the incredible reasons why.
Arthur Blank confirms Falcons won't pursue Lamar Jackson
Lamar Jackson wants to be traded and could be looking for a new deal using as a standard the contract signed by Deshaun Watson with the Browns in 2022. Though he had an eleven-game suspension, Cleveland gave the controversial quarterback a five-year contract with $230 million fully guaranteed.
It's important to remember that, when Houston listened to offers for Deshaun Watson, the Atlanta Falcons were interested. The move was logical considering Matt Ryan had just signed with the Indianapolis Colts. So, if owner Arthur Blank pursued Watson with all the controversy, Lamar Jackson is even a better deal. Right?
"Different player, different time. You have a winner (Lamar Jackson), a MVP in the league. There's no question he's one of the top quarterbacks in the league. Looking at it objectively, I'd say there's some concern over how long can he play his style of game. Hopefully a long time, but he's missed five, six games each of the last two years. Each game counts a lot in our business." Those were Blank's words to The Athletic.
So, even with Lamar Jackson available, Arthur Blank will go all-in with second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder. "Desmond has continued to show us everything we need to and beyond." Only the future will dictate if the Falcons were right about letting go a superstar like Jackson.
