Colts and Lamar Jackson's Top Landing Spots After Requesting Trade from Ravens

Nearly four weeks after requesting a trade from the Baltimore Ravens privately, Lamar Jackson has taken things public.

In a statement released Monday morning on Twitter, Jackson confirmed he requested a trade from the Ravens on March 2 after more than a year of contract extension talks.

The Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson on March 7, less than a week after his trade request. While it seemed like an odd move at the time, the non-exclusive tag now seems like more of a strategic move to set up a potential trade down the line.

There has been a curious lack of movement on the Jackson front since the Ravens used the franchise tag, but the 2019 MVP taking things public may expedite an exit. The Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions are among the teams that could express interest in the coming days.

The Colts make the most sense and perhaps are the most motivated among the four teams mentioned to get a deal done. Indianapolis has not had the same quarterback lead the team in passing in consecutive seasons since 2015-2016.

Andrew Luck's injury issues and subsequent retirement threw the Colts into a state of historic flux, as they've shuffled through a series of veterans to disappointing results. Matt Ryan was the latest failed experiment last season, and the 2016 NFL MVP was released by the team earlier this month.

Colts owner Jim Irsay is historically an outside-the-box thinker and is likely motivated to settle his team's quarterback position once and for all. It's possible Indianapolis looks to April's draft for a solution, but with C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young almost certainly going off the board with the first two selections, the Colts will have their choice of a pair of boom-or-bust projects (Anthony Richardson and Will Levis) or kicking the can down the road another year.

The Falcons are likewise unsettled at the top of their quarterback depth chart but seem satisfied—at least to this juncture—to head into the 2023 season with Desmond Ridder as their presumed starter. Ridder was a third-round pick a year ago and looked serviceable in four starts as a rookie, throwing for 708 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.

That said, the Pittsburgh product did not look anything close to resembling a superstar, while Jackson is a 26-year-old bonafide offensive ecosystem. If the Ravens front office came away impressed with Ridder at all last season, it could lessen the trade package they request from Atlanta.

The Patriots and Lions are more wildcards but could offer Jackson the most immediate chance at competing for a Super Bowl.

Jared Goff returned to Pro Bowl form during a surprising 2022 campaign, throwing for 4,438 yards and 29 touchdowns against seven interceptions. However, Goff remains a fundamentally average NFL starting quarterback, and there's a ceiling to what a team can accomplish with him under center—especially at his current contract.

Jackson, by contrast, would give the Lions one of the NFL's most dynamic offenses. He would be joined by the most dynamic receiver he's ever played with, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and a solid one-two punch at running back with D'Andre Swift and David Montgomery.

The Patriots trading for Jackson would be well outside their norm, but the franchise has desperately needed a spark since Tom Brady left after the 2019 season. Mac Jones took a major step back during his second NFL season and was one of the worst quarterbacks in football in 2022. Jones was so bad at points that fans were clamoring for fourth-round rookie Bailey Zappe to take over the starting job.

Jackson would be a no-brainer upgrade and perhaps give Bill Belichick something Brady already has: a ring without the other.