The Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson could not agree on a contract extension.
He will still play for the Ravens in 2022 because the team exercised his fifth-year option worth $23 million.
However, there’s the danger of losing him without getting anything in return because he is set to become a free agent.
The Ravens could assign the franchise tag on him, but it’s a stop-gap solution that eats up a huge chunk of their cap space for 2023.
Baltimore could still re-sign Jackson during the next offseason, but other teams can also bid for his services.
Meanwhile, ESPN’s NFL insider Adam Schefter shared a statement from Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta.
This statement was originally posted on the team’s official Twitter account.
Lamar Jackson now will play on the last year of his contract. pic.twitter.com/L0peh2nZdF
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 9, 2022
Schefter commented, “Lamar Jackson will now play on the last year of his contract.”
Meanwhile, DeCosta’s statement reads, “Despite best efforts on both sides, we were unable to reach a contract extension with Lamar Jackson.”
He added, “We greatly appreciate how he has handled this process, and we are excited about our team with Lamar leading the way. We will continue to work towards a long-term contract after the season, but for now, we are looking forward to a successful 2022 campaign.”
Make Or Break Season For Jackson?
With the contract negotiations over, Jackson will channel his energy to lead the Ravens in another campaign.
They are hoping to make a postseason return after narrowly missing it last year with an 8-9 mark.
Jackson would also like to bounce back from the ankle injury that abruptly ended his season.
The Ravens are hoping for a deeper playoff push this time, especially because Jackson has won only one postseason game in four tries.
However, any sort of consistent play should lead the Ravens to do whatever it takes to re-sign the former league MVP.
NEXT: NFL Insider Reveals Definitive Lamar Jackson Update