Commanders' Ron Rivera Talks Not Pursuing Lamar Jackson, Possibly Drafting Round 1 QB

Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera revealed Tuesday that the organization never pursued Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and explained why.

According to JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington, Rivera called Jackson a "tremendous talent" but added that the Commanders didn't try to land him because they felt it wasn't the right direction for the team.

The Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson, meaning any team can sign him to an offer sheet that Baltimore would have the right to match.

Per Finlay, Rivera didn't close the door on addressing the quarterback position in the first round of next month's NFL draft, saying: "We want to make a decision on the best player for us, the best player available."

Entering the draft, the top two quarterback options on Washington's depth chart are 2022 fifth-round pick Sam Howell and veteran free-agent signing Jacoby Brissett, who performed well as the Cleveland Browns' starter for much of last season.

Rivera has yet to make a full commitment to a starter for the 2023 campaign, but in February, he gave Howell the QB1 label for now.

After a spectacular collegiate career at North Carolina, Howell was buried on the depth chart as a rookie last season behind Carson Wentz and Taylor Heinicke, but he did get the start in Week 18.

Howell led the Commanders to a win and threw for 169 yards, one touchdown and one interception while also rushing for 35 yards and a score.

While Howell has potential, Jackson is already an established star with two Pro Bowl nods, one All-Pro first-team selection and one NFL MVP award to his credit.

Jackson is also still just 26 years of age, meaning his best football could be in front of him.

Lamar's best season to date was his MVP campaign of 2019, when he led the NFL with 36 touchdown passes and also rushed for 1,206 yards and seven scores.

Jackson has not matched those numbers since then, and a big reason why is injury issues, as he missed 10 games combined over the past two seasons.

Durability concerns combined with Jackson's dual-threat style of play may have something to do with the Ravens' reluctance to make a long-term commitment to him thus far, and it has seemingly damaged the relationship between Jackson and Baltimore significantly.

On Monday, Jackson revealed that he had asked the Ravens to trade him earlier this month.

The Ravens franchised him instead and are trying to work something out for this season and beyond, but Jackson remains in flux since other teams can offer him a contract.

If Jackson signs an offer sheet and the Ravens don't match it, the team that signs Jackson will have to send two first-round selections to Baltimore.

That may have played a role in the Commanders' decision to not join the Jackson sweepstakes, as they need as many picks as possible to fill some of the many other holes on the roster.