Lamar Jackson Rumors: Ravens Contract Includes $72.5M Bonus, No-Trade, No-Tag Clauses

Lamar Jackson may not have gotten a fully guaranteed contract from the Baltimore Ravens, but he used his leverage to negotiate a player-friendly deal.

After Jackson officially signed his five-year contract on Thursday, CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones reported the agreement includes no-trade and no-tag clauses. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Jackson's deal also includes a record $72.5 million signing bonus.

The 2019 NFL MVP is guaranteed $185 million and can make up to $260 million over the course of his extension.

Jackson is the first NFL player to receive a signing bonus of at least $70 million. The previous record of $66 million was given to Dak Prescott when he signed his four-year deal with the Dallas Cowboys in March 2021.

It's perhaps not a coincidence that the players who rank first and second in signing bonus totals were quarterbacks who had been given the franchise tag by their organization.

Another big-picture takeaway from Jackson's deal that looks like it's becoming a trend, especially among quarterbacks, is negotating contracts with at least one of the no-tag or no-trade provisions.

Tom Brady did it multiple times near the end of his career, most notably in 2019 with the New England Patriots to prevent them from using the franchise or transition tag. He used it to become a true free agent after the season and sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Bucs gave Brady the same provision when he signed a revised contract in April 2022. It wound up not mattering because he retired after last season, but the option was available for him to test free agency yet again.

Derek Carr's three-year extension with the Las Vegas Raiders was unique because it seemed to benefit both sides until it actually came back to bite the Raiders. The deal didn't guarantee his $40.4 million salary for 2023 until Feb. 14, but it also came with a full no-trade clause for him.

Once the Raiders made the decision in the final weeks last season to bench Carr, effectively signaling they were going to move on because his salary was guaranteed for injury, they also gave up any leverage in trade talks they might have had.

On Feb. 12, Mark Anderson of the Associated Press reported Carr rejected a trade to the New Orleans Saints because he didn't want to take a pay cut. The Raiders released him two days later without getting anything in return. Carr went to the Saints anyway on a four-year, $150 million contract.

Before eventually agreeing to his new deal with the Ravens, Jackson made it seem like his relationship with the organization was broken beyond repair when he publicly announced his trade request.

If things go south with Jackson and the Ravens near the end of his contract, the no-tag provision gives him the ability to at least explore other opportunities in five years.

If for whatever reason the Ravens decide they want to move on from Jackson within the next five years, he will have full control over potential trade destinations.

None of this is to say things will go in that direction for Jackson or the Ravens. He just gave himself options and some power over the situation by negotiating this deal.

It also means Jackson could potentially hit true free agency and open up a bidding war among teams for his services after the 2027 season. He will only be 31 years old at that point.