Lamar Jackson Rumors: 'Widespread Belief' New Contract Would Be Done If QB Had Agent

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has been representing himself in contract negotiations, which reportedly may be among the biggest reasons why he and the Ravens have yet to reach an agreement.

According to Mike Jones and Mike Sando of The Athletic, some agents and people within the NFL believe Jackson would likely already have a deal done with the Ravens if he had an agent.

Some NFL teams reportedly believe the NFL Players Association is advising Jackson and pushing him to stand firm on wanting a fully guaranteed contract in the same vein as the one Deshaun Watson signed with the Cleveland Browns last year.

It is reportedly thought that the NFLPA cares more about setting that precedent than anything, while an agent would have been more incentivized to get Jackson a contract in order to secure their commission.

Jackson and the Ravens have been in contract negotiations since last year, but they still have yet to reach a long-term agreement.

On Tuesday, the Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson at a value of $32 million for the 2023 season. The fact that it is non-exclusive rather than exclusive means Jackson can negotiate with other teams, however.

If Jackson agrees to a contract with another team, the Ravens would have the option to match it and keep Jackson, or decline it and receive two first-round picks in exchange for the star signal-caller.

Multiple teams who could conceivably be in the market for a quarterback have reportedly leaked to the media that they do not intend to pursue Jackson, leading some to question whether NFL teams are colluding in an effort to avoid paying out another fully guaranteed contract to a quarterback.

Jones and Sando noted there is "zero doubt" that owners across the NFL want to make Watson's fully guaranteed deal a "one-off, not a trend."

Jackson's numbers over the course of his five-year NFL career suggest he deserves to be one of the league's highest-paid quarterbacks regardless of guaranteed money.

He is 45-16 in the regular season as a starter and has helped lead Baltimore to the playoffs four times. He is also a two-time Pro Bowler and one-time first-team All-Pro who won the NFL MVP Award in 2019 when he threw for 3,127 yards and a league-leading 36 touchdowns, while also rushing for 1,206 yards and seven scores.

Jackson has not come close to replicating those overall stats since then, though, and injuries are a big reason why.

He missed five games in 2021, contributing to the Ravens missing the playoffs, and also missed five regular-season games in 2022, in addition to Baltimore's playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Jackson hasn't enjoyed much playoff success either, going just 1-3 as a starter on the postseason stage.

Those factors could make it a significant risk to give Jackson a fully guaranteed contract, but there is no way for the Ravens to upgrade their quarterback situation over Jackson in the near future, meaning their best course of action would likely be to reach some sort of long-term agreement.