New Lamar Jackson Rumors Leak and How Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix Could Impact Contract Talks

Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson could opt to play the waiting game when it comes to his next contract, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Jackson, who makes $52 million annually, would almost certainly become the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL if he committed to an extension right now. Fowler reported on SportsCenter the two-time MVP may prefer to see the market evolve further:

"But no deal as of yet and there's some rumblings around the league about 'Hey, does he want to maybe wait this out a little bit, see what happens with the quarterback market over the next eight to 10 months.' You have all of these young stars like Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix could get deals, or eligible for deals, next offseason. Jackson's going to want to top those guys, potentially, based on what he's done in the league. So, he's in a position of leverage. He could wait this out, go ball out this year and see what happens. So, the Ravens got a couple of months before training camp to try to close that gap and see if they can get a deal done."

Spotrac puts Jackson's market value at $62.6 million per year. To provide some context, the Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott is the only QB making more than $55 million.

The financial picture could evolve once Jackson is entering the final year of his contract in 2027.

Maye, Daniels, Nix and Caleb Williams were all in the same draft class (2024), and they'll be eligible for extensions starting next spring. After finishing runner-up for MVP, Maye in particular could reset the market or come close to matching Prescott's Cowboys pact.

Should nobody from the 2024 class become the highest-paid QB, their second contracts could have an inflationary impact. If the Denver Broncos start paying Nix $50-plus million per season, his peers with more accolades and better production are bound to raise their asking prices.

While the potential benefits of waiting are obvious for Jackson, the potential risks are equally clear.

The 29-year-old was sidelined for four games in 2025, and he has logged a full season just once since becoming the permanent starter in 2019. His durability was a factor teams considered before he re-signed with Baltimore in 2023.

Were Jackson to get hurt in 2026, that might influence how high the Ravens are willing to go at the negotiating table.

Baltimore is incentivized to resolve this as quickly as possible, and NFL players typically like to get long-term financial security sooner rather than later. Perhaps the two sides can find middle ground before Week 1.