Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is scheduled to play the 2022 season on his fifth-year rookie option and is seemingly nowhere close to a new deal with Baltimore, and ProFootballTalk founder Mike Florio says that going year to year would be a “misguided” approach and that Jackson should strongly consider hiring an agent.
Jackson is under contract for 2022 for about $23 million, all charged against the salary cap, then is eligible to be franchise tagged in 2023 and 2024 before the cap charges for a tag become untenable. CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora recently suggested that the 25-year-old quarterback is comfortable going year to year if the Ravens don’t offer him the kind of contract he’s looking for.
It wouldn’t be unprecedented for Jackson to go year to year and potentially set himself up for free agency down the line. Kirk Cousins played out his four-year rookie deal with Washington (2012-2015), then played on franchise tags in 2016 and 2017. Cousins signed a fully guaranteed $84 million deal with Minnesota in 2018. He has since signed two different extensions.
Cousins will end up earning more than $230 million between the franchise tags with Washington and the three contracts with Minnesota. Could Jackson be planning something similar? It’s unclear, but one difference between the two situations is that Cousins had an agent and Jackson is representing himself.
“This is either a deliberate strategic play or it’s completely misguided,” Florio said on Glenn Clark Radio March 17. “I’m inclined to say it’s misguided and at a minimum what I think he should do is set up meetings with five agents to screen them, to interview them, to maybe pick one and along the way pick their brains about what they think about this approach. … I’ve said this for years — the first-round quarterback, if he’s willing to play seven years with his current team, can force his way out.”
Jackson has never insinuated that he does not want to play in Baltimore long term, nor has he ever said publicly what exactly he’s looking for in a long-term deal with the Ravens. But Florio says Jackson is taking on unnecessary risk by not getting a deal done now. Jackson missed one game due to illness and four due to an ankle injury in 2021, and he had an up-and-down year in the 12 games he did play (2,882 yards, 16 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, 7-5 record).
Florio believes Jackson might not be the right quarterback to go year to year given that the 6-foot-2, 212-pound Jackson plays a physical brand of football for the position.
“He was indestructible the first couple years of his career,” Florio said. “He got injured on a hit that really didn’t look all that bad. The guy dove low at him when he was out of the pocket against the Browns. Between that and periodic illnesses, I think that he desperately needs an agent who can help him shape the right strategy and who then can go negotiate with the Ravens.”
But Jackson does not have an agent. Florio said the Ravens would probably prefer if he did as to eliminate any awkwardness while discussing the quarterback during negotiations. He also said Jackson would likely walk away with more money in his next deal if an agent negotiated it, even taking commission into account. Florio pointed to the deals Richard Sherman and Russell Okung negotiated for themselves in 2018 and 2016, respectively.
“Lamar Jackson is good enough that he could get the best quarterback agents and he could interview each of them and he can pick whichever one he wants,” Florio said. “And along the way, he can find out what they think of his apparent plan to go one year at a time because I think it’s a mistake.”
Ravens backup quarterback Tyler Huntley started four of the games Jackson missed due to injury or illness. Huntley completed 64.9 percent of his passes for 1,081 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions. An undrafted free agent out of Utah, Huntley is now an exclusive rights free agent, meaning he needs a new contract but the Ravens hold his rights.
Huntley had a big game against Green Bay in Week 15 — 28-for-40, 215 yards passing, 73 yards rushing, four total touchdowns — but struggled to throw the ball down the field and create big plays during his five starts. The Ravens went 1-3 with Huntley as the starter.
Still, Florio says the Huntley situation is one to keep an eye on, too.
“If they would sign him to a multi-year deal, that would be an indication they’re protecting themselves against the uncertainty that’s going on with Lamar Jackson,” Florio said.
For more from Florio, listen to the full interview here:
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