USATSI
Lamar Jackson’s five-year run as quarterback for the Ravens has been so electric — better yet, so defining in the age of double-threat MVP guys — that he and Baltimore seem almost inseparable. Fresh from the team’s opening-round playoff loss to the Bengals, a game Jackson didn’t attend while he picked up an ongoing knee injury, the dynamic feels different.
Both sides have spoken at length about their appreciation for one another. And yet, now more than ever, with 2023 free agency on the horizon and Jackson without a long-term contract, the quarterback is hinting that a breakup could be imminent. Days after he publicly ruled himself out of the Ravens’ playoff game despite reports that he was at minimal risk of re-injury, the former MVP took to Instagram with a cryptic message that he’s not for a “good cause.” of course hold.
Hurt feelings don’t have to ruin big-money negotiations; Just last offseason, Kyler Murray landed a lucrative deal from the Cardinals, despite publicly falling out with the organization. And chances are Baltimore will wield at least one franchise tag — likely the projected $45 million exclusive tag — to prevent Jackson from testing the open market.
But there are several scenarios in which Jackson moves on after half a decade as the face of the Ravens. The team could use a non-exclusive tag, allowing other clubs to negotiate with them, knowing a pair of first-round draft picks would be guaranteed as compensation. Baltimore could also tag Jackson and trade, allowing another team to meet the QB’s tempting but injury-plagued calls for a new deal that will cost at least $45-50m a year.
In case he is actually available, here are 10 of the most logical suitors plus five jokers: