Lamar Jackson Requests Trade from Ravens after Receiving Tag Amid Contract Rumors

Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson announced Monday he requested a trade from the team before free agency opened.

The Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson, which would guarantee him $32.4 million for the 2023 season if he signs the one-year tender. Another team would have to send two first-round picks to Baltimore to sign him to an offer sheet.

Head coach John Harbaugh said Monday he doesn't expect Baltimore's quarterback situation to change:

The revelation may not change the situation since Jackson made his request nearly a month ago. The Ravens' use of the non-exclusive franchise tag meant he was available and any team could've tried to acquire him.

But that he wanted to leave Baltimore certainly wasn't known publicly, and those around the league may not have been aware, either.

It's tough to recall an NFL saga like this in recent memory.

Teams typically bend over backward to retain franchise quarterbacks, especially one in the prime of their career. Instead, Jackson and the Ravens have been deadlocked for months over a long-term agreement.

The seeming lack of outside interest is also not what you'd expect for a player with his résumé. The market has been so lukewarm that some have wondered whether owners are colluding against the two-time Pro Bowler, who has sought a precedent-setting contract in terms of guaranteed money. Deshaun Watson's fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million deal with the Cleveland Browns remains an exception.

And all this is unfolding while Jackson operates without an agent. The tactic isn't uncommon in the NFL, but stars typically hire representation when they're negotiating agreements of this magnitude.

This provided another twist last week when the NFL issued a memo regarding Ken Francis, who isn't a certified agent but "may be contacting Clubs and attempting to persuade Club personnel to enter into negotiations with or concerning Lamar Jackson."

Jackson disputed the notion that Francis was negotiating on his behalf:

The Ravens don't seem like they have felt a desire to meet Jackson's contract demands, and other teams likely haven't aggressively pursued a trade based on the lack of rumors.

Jackson's public statement could apply enough pressure to expedite a resolution.