Lamar Jackson's Non-Exclusive Ravens Tag Amps Up Trade Speculation Among NFL Fans

Well, this just got interesting.

The Baltimore Ravens chose to use the non-exclusive franchise tag on Lamar Jackson before Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline, meaning the dynamic quarterback can negotiate and sign an offer sheet with a new team.

The Ravens would then have two options: They could match the offer sheet and keep Jackson, or they could decline to match and receive two first-round picks as compensation.

Suffice to say, NFL Twitter had thoughts after the bombshell news:

So the game of chicken between Jackson and the Ravens is now heightened. Jackson can now seek lucrative offers, and any team that desperately wants him is probably going to have to exceed market value to the point that Baltimore won't want to match.

The Ravens are banking on that not happening, however, and that the market will dictate a more realistic price for Jackson in an offer sheet they are comfortable matching.

The drama in Baltimore has only intensified. It's going to be a fascinating offseason.