ESPN: Patriots a 'Wild Card' for Ravens' Lamar Jackson amid Titans, Colts Rumors

If Lamar Jackson fails to come to terms on an extension with the Baltimore Ravens, several teams have been listed as potential landing spots for the veteran, including the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans.

However, that list also includes the New England Patriots, who are being described as a "wild card" for the 2019 MVP, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said Sunday on SportsCenter (h/t NESN's Sean T. McGuire):

"Right now there's no real firm offer sheet for Lamar Jackson that I'm aware of. Teams are probably slow-playing this. The draft could be a good indicator because you have a team like the Colts at No. 4. If they feel like they can't get the quarterback of the future they wanted to draft maybe they pivot to Lamar Jackson. The Jets, if they strike out with Aaron Rodgers, certainly that's not expected, but they could pivot.

"And then you got some wild cards like Tennessee or New England. Teams that like to run the ball. You never know."

ESPN's Dan Graziano also reported Friday on Get Up! (h/t NESN's Dakota Randall) that he "would not rule it out" when discussing the idea of Jackson joining the Patriots.

If the Patriots were to sign Jackson, that would almost certainly spell the end to Mac Jones' time in New England. However, Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston said during an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show last month that Jones is "absolutely not" a trade candidate.

"I think that any speculation that Mac Jones would be trade bait or considered a trade object in 2023 is stupid," Curran said (via NBC Sports Boston's Darren Hartwell). "Next year might be a different story with him entering the final year of his contract, whether or not the Patriots pick up his fifth-year option. But this year? Absolutely not."

Still, it's somewhat surprising to hear that the Patriots could be considering a move for Jackson, especially because members of the franchise have been open about their confidence in Jones.

"We are blessed to have a great young quarterback in Mac Jones as our quarterback. I'm a strong believer in him and his development," Patriots owner Robert Kraft said during an appearance on Cavuto: Coast to Coast on the Fox Business channel last month, per Evan Lazar of the team's website.

Following an impressive rookie season, Jones had a rough 2022 season under the leadership of Matt Patricia and Joe Judge on offense. He completed 65.2 percent of his passes for 2,997 yards and 14 touchdowns against 11 interceptions in 14 games as the Patriots finished 8-9 and missed the postseason.

With the addition of Bill O'Brien as offensive coordinator, Jones at least deserves a chance to prove he can turn things around and be the franchise's quarterback for years to come.

While the Patriots aren't a likely destination for Jackson, ESPN's Stephen Holder reported Monday that Indy "did not rule out having discussions" with the veteran quarterback.

Holder added: "However, the club has not taken any substantive steps regarding Jackson and it is unclear whether it intends to do so. Team sources have expressed skepticism about pursuing Jackson."

Executives around the NFL also believe Jackson could be a good fit with the Titans, Fowler reported Sunday on SportsCenter:

"And then when you talk about good fits, I asked some executives around the league what teams would make sense. They mention Tennessee, who just cleared some cap space. They have a new GM Ran Carthon, who's working on the roster. They could use a running quarterback; they have experience with that in the past."

Jackson's status is something NFL fans will have to keep a close eye on.