Lamar Jackson on Ravens Contract Talks: 'I Would Love to Be Here Forever'

As the Baltimore Ravens prepare to start negotiations on a contract extension with Lamar Jackson, the 2019 NFL MVP addressed his future with the organization. 

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Jackson said, "I would love to be here forever."

"I love Baltimore," he added. "I love the whole organization. I love everybody in the building. Hopefully, we’ll be making something happen pretty soon whenever."

The Ravens have already exercised Jackson's fifth-year option worth $23.016 million for the 2022 season, but he's eligible to sign an extension this offseason. 

General manager Eric DeCosta told reporters earlier this month that he anticipates starting negotiations with Jackson's camp soon. 

"I'm a guy that sort of likes to work with deadlines," DeCosta said. "The draft is almost over, so we'll kind of move on to the next big thing. We've got other things now on our plate, and Lamar Jackson is one of those things."

It's unclear what an extension for Jackson might look like at this point. The three most recent deals signed were by Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs), Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys) and Deshaun Watson (Houston Texans). 

Each of those three players signed contracts that averaged $39-45 million per season, per Spotrac.

Jackson is 30-7 in 37 starts for the Ravens over the past three seasons. The 24-year-old threw for 2,757 yards, ran for 1,005 yards and accounted for 33 touchdowns in 2020. 

Baltimore won the AFC North in each of Jackson's first two seasons. It made the playoffs last year as a wild card with an 11-5 record.