Lamar Jackson Rumors: Colts Haven't Ruled out Pursuit After Ravens Franchise Tag

Lamar Jackson's phone line has been open for more than a week, but he has heard little from teams despite the Baltimore Ravens using their non-exclusive franchise tag on the 2019 NFL MVP.

One team that could still get into the mix: the Indianapolis Colts.

Stephen Holder of ESPN reported the Colts are focused on finding their next franchise quarterback and could wind up making a run at Jackson, who is both seeking a contract befitting his status and would require Indianapolis to send two first-round picks to Baltimore.

The seeming lack of interest in Jackson around the NFL has been odd to say the least. He's a 26-year-old former league MVP who is 45-16 over the course of his career as a starter and one of the single most dynamic players in the NFL when healthy.

While there are fair concerns about how Jackson's run-heavy play style will age—Cam Newton was out of the NFL at 32 despite being 6'5" and 245 pounds, and Jackson has missed 10 games over the past two seasons—it's unlikely those concerns will come to pass during his next contract. Even if Jackson isn't going to be breaking ankles well into his late 30s, a team could get him for the remainder of his physical prime and then move on.

Even if that leaves only a five-year window, most coaches and general managers don't stick around for five years. In an NFL culture where winning now defeats all else, it's shocking to not see a large group of suitors lining up for Jackson despite the cost.

The Colts have the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL draft and could select a quarterback, but it's likely they'll be looking at the third option off the board. The Carolina Panthers moved up to No. 1 with a franchise quarterback in mind, and the Houston Texans are overwhelmingly expected to take a quarterback at No. 2.

It's likely Indianapolis will have the choice between taking Will Levis or Anthony Richardson, two boom-or-bust project quarterbacks, or kicking the can down the road for another year. The same quarterback has not led the Colts in passing in back-to-back seasons since 2015 and 2016. They've shuffled through a series of underperforming veterans in recent years, most recently Matt Ryan in 2022.

Jackson is an offensive ecosystem unto himself and would create the NFL's most dominant running attack instantly with Jonathan Taylor also in the backfield.

It's harder to see why the Colts are considering not offering Jackson a contract than anything.