Lamar Jackson's Lack of Say in Ravens' OC Hire Signals to NFL QB Can Be Had in Trade

As the NFL barrels into the 2023 offseason and we head toward free agency, one player towers above all others, casting a long shadow over the league.

That's what happens when an MVP quarterback's contract expires.

Now, for most of the past several months, prevailing wisdom has held fast that Lamar Jackson would remain in Baltimore in 2023, whether it was under the franchise tag or on a long-term extension. But cracks have started to appear in that wall of certainty. There have been rumors that Jackson might actually be available for a trade if the price is right.

And another recent development has added fuel to the notion that maybe, just maybe, the Ravens are considering that the best course for the franchise is a megadeal that would land the team an unprecedented haul of picks.

After parting with offensive coordinator Greg Roman in the offseason, the Ravens settled on Georgia's Todd Monken as his replacement. That hire isn't especially noteworthy. But Jackson's involvement in the search for Roman's successor is—or, more appropriately, his lack of involvement.

On Tuesday, CBS Sports HQ's Josina Anderson reported "Jackson's input on the offense from a philosophical and schematic standpoint was folded into the evaluation process for the next OC and communication from key players was welcomed."

However, CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones said Thursday that the Ravens "did not fully integrate [Jackson] into the hiring process for their new offensive coordinator."

Responding to Jones' tweet, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic offered his take on the situation.

Could this all be a nothing-burger? Yes. It's that time of year—the post-Super Bowl lull when speculation swirls in a cyclone of innuendo and unnamed sources. But Jones' report raises the possibility that the Ravens have considered a post-Jackson future, while Zrebiec's raises questions about just how committed Jackson is to Baltimore long-term.

It seems to be quite the change from January, when Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was adamant while speaking to reporters that Jackson wasn't going anywhere.

"One hundred percent, 200 percent. There's no question about it," Harbaugh said. "Lamar Jackson is our quarterback. He's been our quarterback. Everything that we've done in terms of building our offense and building our team, how we think in terms of putting people around him is based on this incredible young man, his talent, his ability and his competitiveness.

AP Photo/Terrance Williams

"I love Lamar, [general manager] Eric [DeCosta] loves Lamar, and it's not gonna change in the future. I don't know anything about the details or the whole thing, but I know one thing: I'm like all the fans out there and everybody else. I'll have my fingers crossed, my toes crossed and I'll be saying prayers. I have faith it's gonna get done, and we've got the best people in the world doing it. ... Eric wants him here, I want him here, Steve wants him here, and Lamar wants to be here. It's gonna work out."

It's not difficult to figure out why Harbaugh would feel that way. When healthy, Jackson is arguably the most difficult player in the league to defend. He is the only quarterback in NFL history to surpass 1,000 rushing yards in consecutive seasons. He led the league in touchdown passes and was named NFL MVP in 2019.

However, the past two campaigns have been injury-marred disappointments. Over that span, Jackson has missed 10 games. And contract negotiations have gone nowhere. The quarterback turned down a $250 million extension last year that included over $130 million in guarantees amid reports that he's seeking a Deshaun Watson type of deal—a contract in which every cent is guaranteed.

That's a gap in guaranteed money of $100 million.

AP Photo/John Raoux

Given that impasse, Jackson will all but certainly be slapped with the franchise tag. And while the exclusive rights tag carries a staggering price (around $45 million), it would also prevent other teams from signing Jackson to a jaw-dropping offer that Baltimore would have to match to keep him.

However, tagging Jackson doesn't preclude the Ravens from trading him. Tom Pelissero, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network floated the notion that the Ravens could be "tempted" to deal Jackson for a massive haul of picks.

More than one mock draft of late has included Jackson being sent somewhere like Atlanta. And while appearing on The Rich Eisen Show, Peter King of NBC Sports singled out the New York Jets as another team that could be willing to throw its hat into the ring if its rumored pursuit of Aaron Rodgers is unsuccessful.

"I think the Jets are going to have a very tough decision on their hands, and I think they will go after Rodgers if he does play," King said. "And if they don't get him, I think they will at least put their sniffers out and seriously consider Lamar Jackson."

Derek Carr's visit to New York potentially throws some cold water on King's assertion, but the gist remains true. There are half a dozen teams with a hole at quarterback that would look hard at Jackson if he's available.

Rob Carr/Getty Images

Now, before fans in Indianapolis or Atlanta rush to place an order for a No. 8 jersey, let's get one thing clear. Far and away the most likely scenario is Jackson will play in Baltimore in 2023. Quite a bit would have to happen for that to change—beginning with DeCosta deciding that moving on is the best course of action.

Calling that a bold move is an understatement.

Then the Ravens have to find a trade partner willing to offer up a haul the likes of which the NFL has never seen. The Houston Texans got half a dozen picks from the Cleveland Browns, including three first-rounders, for Watson.

That's the starting point for a Jackson trade. Now add to it.

That trade partner also has to be willing to give Jackson a contract that he's happy with, which could easily mean topping Watson's guarantees and/or making Jackson the highest-paid player in the league.

That's, um, a lot.

However, there will be teams willing to foot that bill; franchises without a high-end quarterback will do all sorts of things to get one.

Watson hadn't played football in a year, and at the time of the trade last March, multiple women had already filed civil lawsuits alleging sexual assault or misconduct by Watson in message therapy appointments.

He ultimately received an 11-game suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy, and he has settled 23 of the 25 lawsuits. One lawsuit was dropped because the woman did not want her name in the filing.

Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Four teams (at least) were willing to mortgage their future to acquire him.

If DeCosta believes that Baltimore's best future is one without Jackson, there will be teams offering all sorts of packages of compensation. Finding the right one willing to also give Jackson approximately all the money ever won't be easy. But it's far from impossible.

Not that long ago, the idea of Jackson playing anywhere except Baltimore would have drawn laughter. Maybe a chortle. Perhaps a guffaw. But with every passing week, that laughter fades.

And if this latest report that Jackson's input on the Monken hire was limited is to be believed (either by the Ravens or Jackson himself), the possibility just became that much more serious.