Lamar Jackson Won't Play in Ravens' Preseason Game vs. Commanders

While the Baltimore Ravens will play some of their starters in Saturday's preseason finale against the Washington Commanders, star quarterback Lamar Jackson will not be one of them.

Ravens head coach Jon Harbaugh told reporters on Thursday that Jackson will sit out against Washington, as will "many" of the team's other starters.

Jackson also didn't play in Baltimore's first two preseason victories over the Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals, which extended the team's NFL-record preseason win streak to 22 games. He will now turn his attention to the Ravens' season opener against the New York Jets on Sept. 11.

The negotiations between Jackson and the Ravens over a potential contract extension have been one of the top storylines of the 2022 offseason. The 25-year-old, who is representing himself in negotiations, confirmed recently that he will halt contract discussions once the regular season begins.

Fox Sports' Jay Glazer reported last week that the Ravens already offered Jackson an extension worth more than the massive deal recently given to Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, which pays him an average of $46.1 million over five years. Glazer stated it will be an "uphill battle" for Baltimore to get Jackson to agree to a deal prior to his self-imposed deadline.

Jackson is coming off a bit of a down year after being limited to 12 games in 2021. He threw for 2,882 yards, 16 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while adding 767 rushing yards and two scores. The Ravens finished the season 8-9 and fell short of the playoffs.

Heading into 2022, Jackson is surely hoping to lead Baltimore to a bounce-back year. But it remains to be seen if he will be satisfied with his contract while he does it.