NFL Exec Denies Lamar Jackson Rumors: Teams Wanted QB, Not the Guaranteed Contract

One NFL executive pushed back on the notion teams were steadfastly against pursuing Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson last offseason.

"Everybody was interested in the player," the exec said to The Athletic's Mike Sando. "They were not interested in the package. Because he was so vociferous about getting that guaranteed deal, those franchises made it clear, there is nothing to talk about. It wasn't until Baltimore convinced him to take the non-guaranteed contract that the Ravens got a deal done."

Many fans were left stunned when multiple teams voluntarily took themselves out of the running for Jackson last spring. That the 27-year-old has gone on play at an MVP level while helping the Ravens earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC brought continued attention to the almost nonexistent market he had before the year.

There's no question acquiring Jackson would've come at a significant cost.

By placing the non-exclusive tag on the three-time Pro Bowler, the Ravens guaranteed they'd get two first-round draft picks back if he signed with another team. Any interested suitor also would've needed to table a contract offer high enough for Baltimore to decline matching.

But pointing to Jackson's reported hope of signing a fully guaranteed deal feels like a bit of a cop out. He ultimately settled for a more traditional five-year, $260 million contract with $185 million guaranteed, and it appears nobody aside from the Ravens engaged in meaningful negotiations with him. They saw his initial demand and simply stopped there.

Over time, perhaps Jackson's contract will age a little worse. Should he lead the Ravens to a Super Bowl title, he will have already paid off the team's investment.