Lamar Jackson Trade to Raiders Predicted by NFL Insider Amid Rumors, 'Ultimate Mark Davis Move'

Multiple people around the NFL forecasted the Baltimore Ravens trading Lamar Jackson to the Las Vegas Raiders when asked to make a "bold prediction" about the 2026 season, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

"It just seems like there's been some consternation there with Lamar and the Ravens, and this would be the ultimate Mark Davis move," one NFL scout told Fowler. "I'm not even convinced everybody with Vegas would be on board with it but it would instantly solve their quarterback problems."

Fowler's report comes after Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said last Tuesday he had informed Jackson he wanted to renegotiate the quarterback's deal before NFL free agency opens on March 12.

Jackson is signed for two more seasons on a contract that is currently set to cost the Ravens $74.5 million in 2026, a hit that would take up about 25 percent of the team's cap, per Over the Cap.

The Ravens will need to lower that cap hit, either by renegotiating Jackson's current deal by adding void years or by offering him an extension. Bisciotti made it clear he wants either option to take place within the next two months.

"The urgency of that matters to me because we've got free agents, and I don't want to go into free agency with that hanging over our head," Bisciotti said (h/t BaltimoreRavens.com's Ryan Mink and Justin Robertson).

"I made that clear to Lamar, and I think he was very appreciative of my stance, and hopefully, willing to work with [general manager Eric DeCosta] and not get this thing dragged out into April like it was the last time."

Should Jackson decide he wants out of Baltimore following this season's playoff miss and head coaching turnover, he could conceivably decline to renegotiate his contract and force Bisciotti to seek a trade in order to clear cap space.

The Raiders have no clear answer at quarterback and the cap space to take on a major contract. The franchise currently ranks third in effective 2026 cap space with $67 million in wiggle room heading into the offseason, per Over the Cap.

All of that would likely require Jackson wanting to leave, however. Jackson said earlier this month he "absolutely" wants to stay in Baltimore, although who the Ravens ultimately hire to replace former head coach John Harbaugh could potentially play a role in his desire to stick around with the franchise.

Should Jackson ultimately stick around for a ninth season in Baltimore, the Ravens could potentially find their next answer at quarterback in the draft. Las Vegas holds the No. 1 pick ahead of a 2026 draft headlined by Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza.