Lamar Jackson Contract Extension Talks 'Ongoing,' Ravens GM Eric DeCosta Says

Lamar Jackson's cap hit will become a concern for the Baltimore Ravens over the next couple of seasons if they don't make any changes to his contract, which could open the door for an extension.

With that as the backdrop, general manager Eric DeCosta told reporters Wednesday talks between the team and star quarterback are "ongoing" even though he didn't provide any more details.

"I appreciate the question, but it's good to kind of keep these things with the players," DeCosta said. "That will continue to be the way we operate. I really wouldn't want to get into any specifics with any of our players and their contract negotiations. I think that hurts the process."

Jackson's cap hit jumps from $43.5 million in 2025 to $74.5 million in 2026 and 2027, which would be difficult to handle from the team's perspective. Even though the team announced an extension with safety Kyle Hamilton, there is still some long-term uncertainty.

After all, Baltimore's list of free agents after the upcoming season includes Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, Tyler Linderbaum, Kyle Van Noy, Jaire Alexander and Patrick Ricard, among others.

"Unfortunately, we're going to see some good players, probably in the next couple of years play for other teams," DeCosta said. "We've seen that. That's going to be something that continues. ... We'll try to get as creative as possible."

Coming to terms on some kind of extension with Jackson that would lower his individual cap hit could help in that creativity when it comes to retaining as many of those players as possible.

There is also the manner of keeping the star quarterback on the team for as long as possible. His resume already includes two league MVPs, three First-Team All-Pro selections and four Pro Bowl nods at 28 years old, and there is no reason to think he won't continue to add to his list of accolades.

He is the franchise quarterback in Baltimore and a major reason the team is seemingly always on the short list of realistic Super Bowl contenders. Keeping him long term is surely a priority for the front office, which is continuing to work on a potential extension.