Lamar Jackson Gets What He 'Deserves' as Ravens Fans Celebrate $260M Contract

Hours before the 2023 NFL draft, the Baltimore Ravens announced they had struck an agreement on a five-year contract with star quarterback Lamar Jackson.

According to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports HQ, the contract is worth $260 million total. Jackson has $185 million in total guarantees, Anderson added.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported the Ravens "stepped up and offered him a deal that trumped" the five-year, $255 million extension Jalen Hurts signed with the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this month.

Plenty of people were happy to see Jackson get paid:

This was always the optimal outcome for Jackson and the Ravens.

The 2019 MVP has a head coach, John Harbaugh, who fully trusts him and tailors the offense to his skill set. The arrival of offensive coordinator Todd Monken could mean a larger emphasis on the passing game as well, which will allow Jackson to showcase his arm more and avoid the wear and tear that comes with running the ball 100-plus times per season.

Baltimore had no realistic path to getting an upgrade at quarterback, and the longer this saga dragged on, the tougher it would have been to form any sort of succession plan. The alternatives were pretty bleak.

In the end, everybody got what they wanted.