Members of the Baltimore Ravens front office must be shaking their heads regarding Kyler Murray‘s contract extension.
Let ESPN’s Jamison Hensley summarize the reason.
Kyler Murray just signed a 5-year, $230.5M extension with the Cardinals, per @AdamSchefter.
Murray now ranks second in NFL in average per year ($46.1M) and guaranteed money ($160M).
Let's see whether this affects the situation with Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) July 21, 2022
To put things in perspective, Murray received that much money even though he has only been an Offensive Rookie of the Year and a two-time Pro Bowler.
Meanwhile, Jackson has been an All-Pro and a league MVP.
Both of them are versatile quarterbacks because they can also hurt opposing teams with their feet.
However, Jackson also gains the upper hand because he has two consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
Murray’s highest was 819 in 2020, to go with 11 touchdowns.
Likewise, it may not be that big of a difference, but Jackson has won a playoff game.
Therefore, Jackson will refer to Murray’s deal during his contract negotiation because he doesn’t have an agent.
To make things simple for both parties, Jackson commands a higher value than Murray given his credentials.
Good things come to those who wait and Jackson might reap the fruits of his labor.
But the Ravens might argue for a lower value given that the former Louisville standout doesn’t have to give a cut to an agent.
What’s A Fair Value For Jackson?
Considering all the points above, it’s fair for Jackson to have a higher annual average value than Murray’s $46.1 million.
However, he’s not yet at Aaron Rodgers‘ level because the Green Bay Packers quarterback has won a Super Bowl and four MVP awards.
Therefore, Jackson should negotiate at around $48 million a year to be right in the middle of Rodgers and Murray.
In effect, he also deserves more guaranteed money than Murray’s $160 million.
Somewhere at least $180 million would be of good value for Jackson.
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