During the 2022 NFL offseason, the Cleveland Browns signed Deshaun Watson to a massive contract.
The total deal was for five years, with $230 million fully guaranteed.
This move was highly criticized at the time, especially for the amount of guaranteed money that the Browns gave him.
After the Browns made this deal, quarterback contracts across the league have gotten more complicated.
It appears that this deal has affected the Baltimore Ravens, as they continue negotiations with Lamar Jackson.
When talking about Watson’s contract, the executive vice president of the Ravens said “our owner did say that contract did create some problems.”
Did the #Browns contract with Deshaun Watson complicate things for the Ravens?
"Our owner did say that contract did create some problems! We have to figure out if that's the norm or an outlier."
-Ravens EVP Ozzie Newsome
presented by @tipico! https://t.co/n5ddoQOj0K pic.twitter.com/vFBykQFL6L
— Bernie Kosar Show w/ Hanford Dixon (@BernieKosarShow) March 22, 2023
He later said: “We have to find out if that’s the norm or an outlier.”
Watson’s contract has the largest amount of guaranteed money in NFL history.
The Ravens are in a difficult spot, as Jackson has been a great contributor for them thus far, but it appears that they aren’t willing to give him as much guaranteed money.
Even though the Ravens put the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson, there haven’t been any recent developments for the former league MVP.
Although many teams might initially jump at the fact of having Jackson on their roster, the potential of giving the Ravens two first-round picks in return for him could be difficult to overcome.
A new team would need to pay Jackson a multi-year contract after giving up those first-rounders.
Will Watson’s deal impact quarterback contracts moving forward, including Jackson’s new deal?
And where will Jackson end up playing during the 2023 season?
NEXT: Nick Wright Says 5 Teams Should Pursue Lamar Jackson
