The Baltimore Ravens have finally agreed terms with star quarterback Lamar Jackson following a contract standoff.
Jackson, 26, revealed last month that he requested a trade away from the Ravens after contract negotiations stalled, with the player hoping to collect a mega guaranteed deal. And so the Ravens put a non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson, meaning he could negotiate with other NFL franchises, but Baltimore would have the opportunity to match what’s on the table.
Well, the Ravens won’t have to worry about matching their rivals’ cash offer to Jackson, as they’ve finally agreed terms with the one-time MVP. Jackson and the Ravens have reached an agreement in principle over a new five-year deal.
The bombshell news comes just hours before the NFL Draft. Baltimore made Jackson an offer he could not refuse following Jalen Hurts being handed a five-year, $255million (£204.2m) deal.
It took making Jackson the NFL's highest-paid player, trumping Hurts, to get him to agree to an extension, settling on an eye-watering $260million (£208m) with guarantees of $185m (£148m).
“You know from the last few months there's been a lot of he-say, she-say,” Jackson said in a video posted to the Ravens’ official Twitter account. “A lot of nail-biting and head-scratching going on. But for the next five years, it's a lot of Flock going on. Let's go, let's go baby. I can't wait to get there, be there and light up M&T for the next five years man. Let's get it."
Jackson’s extension will undoubtedly boost hopes of Baltimore winning its first Super Bowl in over a decade and leaves them with a far more secure future knowing their star man is not going anywhere in the foreseeable future.
The news will also be music to Odell Beckham Jr’s ears, who made a public plea to his pal Jackson to stay put in Baltimore, after penning a short-term deal to return to the NFL after a lengthy injury layoff which saw him miss the entire of last season. "truzzzz," Beckham Jr tweeted shortly after the news broke.
Jackson was the 2019 NFL MVP and is one of six quarterbacks in NFL history with 10,000 yards passing and 4,000 rushing. He also holds an NFL record for 12 games with at least 100 rushing yards. Jackson will be hoping to reach the AFC championship game - a feat he hasn’t reached with the team yet.
