Lamar Jackson Rumors: Ravens 'Confident' QB Will Sign Long-Term Contract

The Baltimore Ravens are reportedly "confident" they will get a long-term contract done with quarterback Lamar Jackson despite there being a lack of communication between the two sides.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler updated the situation Monday on Get Up:

" "I just talked to somebody with the organization and I was told they're going to get this done. They're determined to do a long-term deal with Lamar Jackson. They feel confident that it is going to happen eventually, but the Ravens have sort of put this in Lamar Jackson's court. They said: 'Hey, when you're ready to talk some particulars, come back to us. We will hash this out.' Lamar Jackson has not done that yet. Maybe that's strategic. It's also March; there's five or six months before anything would have to get done before the season. And so the team remains confident something will shake out here somewhat soon. But right now they have 22 unrestricted free agents that they're focused on; could make some cuts, they have to address several positions. They're more focused on that right now."

Jackson is heading into the fifth-year option on his rookie contract, which will pay him $23 million. A long-term contract would likely pay Jackson nearly double that number on an annual basis. 

The Ravens have essentially put the public onus on Jackson to hammer out a new deal. General manager Eric DeCosta told reporters last week that the situation is moving at "Lamar's urgency."

“We will work at Lamar's urgency,” DeCosta said. “He and I have had ongoing discussions. We've talked fairly recently as well. He knows how to find me. I know how to find him.”

Jackson does not have an agent, which adds a wrinkle to potential negotiations. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network theorized Jackson could use the franchise tag as a "weapon" to negotiate his best possible deal. Dak Prescott and Kirk Cousins have found negotiating success thanks in large part to their willingness to take the tag.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated also noted the deal comes down to a matter of trust between the two sides, particularly with Jackson negotiating for himself. 

While a slow play can work in some cases, Jackson might want to sit down at the bargaining table sooner rather than later. Unlike Prescott and Cousins, Jackson's value comes from his singular skill set—particularly his running ability.

The Louisville product rushed for an NFL quarterback record of 1,206 yards in 2019 and is almost certain to shatter Michael Vick's all-time record (6,109 yards) if he avoids catastrophic injury.

The first major signs of wear and tear on Jackson's body began showing up last season. He missed five games because of a combination of injuries and illness and struggled mightily with his effectiveness at times in the second half of the campaign.

Jackson threw a career-high 13 interceptions and a full-season career-low 16 touchdowns, while his yards per carry dipped for the second straight year. The Ravens offensive line also spent much of the season dealing with a combination of injuries and ineffective play, which led to an already-physical Jackson taking even more hits than usual. 

There's something to be said for Jackson cashing in right now while he's still just 25 years old. If Jackson prolongs the situation, it's possible his body will continue to fail him and he'll wind up in a weaker negotiating position.