Days, weeks, and months went by, and Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens never even came close to an agreement on a new deal. So, with the franchise tag deadline just hours away, that always seemed like the likeliest scenario.
Jackson is a former MVP and one of the best quarterbacks in the league, so he doesn't want to settle for less guaranteed money than some of his lesser colleagues. That's fair, given today's overblown QB market.
The Ravenslowballed Jackson for months, and he never caved. So, now, NFL insider Mike Florio believes the Louisville product should just stay put to force them to choose between two potential franchise tags.
NFL Insider Claims Lamar Jackson Should Just Wait
(Transcript via Mike Florio — ProFootballTalk)
"They’ll apply either the non-exclusive franchise tag, or the exclusive version of the tag. Jackson should wait to see what they do.
Non-exclusive means he’d get to negotiate with other teams. He could sign an offer sheet with another team. The Ravens could match it, or they could decline to do so. Along the way, he could be traded.
Exclusive means he’d be the sole contractual property of the Ravens. But he’d have a one-year, $45 million contract, instead of the much lower amount for the non-exclusive tender ($32.416 million). He could still be traded, but the higher tender would give him much more leverage in long-term talks."
At this point, it's evident that the Ravens need Jackson more than Jackson needs them. He's thrived without a solid receiving corps, injury-prone running backs, and terrible offensive play-calling, so just imagine what he could do somewhere else.
Losing their QB could set the Ravens back years, and it's not like they have a high Draft pick to at least try and get one in the upcoming NFL Draft or anything. They need him, so they better pay him.
