Two weeks ago, I wrote a detailed column about the complicated situation facing the Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson. I chose to write about the intricacies of the contract dispute instead of writing a “Pay The Man” column because I believed the impact of the ultimate decision required slightly more nuance than “give the man a blank check.”
As proud as I was about writing such a thorough piece, I received a ton of feedback about it. Some of that feedback came from within the football landscape. There was an opinion held by more than a few that for as detailed as I was, I left something significant out. I had intended to write a follow-up column last week but, you know, that whole ugly “blowing a three-touchdown lead in the fourth quarter” thing got in the way.
With Jackson and the Ravens avoiding a similar setback against the Patriots in Week 3, I’m left with the perfect opening to offer my follow-up. Indeed, in choosing to write a column far more complete than a simple “pay the man” scribbling, I left out a pretty important thought.
I left out the part where … they really do need to “pay the man.” That’s my fault.
To be clear, I stand by the things I wrote in the initial column. I understand the complexity of the debate. I understand why the Ravens are dragging their feet. And I don’t think that should suddenly change. I mean that. It is not my belief that just because Jackson has been spectacular through the first three weeks of the season the Ravens should suddenly walk in on Monday and cave to his fully guaranteed demands.
But it is my opinion that they should … at some point.
Look, the significant nature of guaranteed contract fight really is enough for me to justify how the Ravens have approached this so far. With no actual deadline in sight and with Jackson not only willing to play without a long-term deal but play…the best football of his career without a deal, they have nothing to lose. If at some point Jackson feels that playing without a long term deal is too risky, perhaps he’ll consider caving (although I’d bet against it).
Perhaps if more quarterbacks get contracts that aren’t fully guaranteed in the meantime, Jackson will reconsider his stance. And while there’s absolutely no reason to think something might happen that would threaten the level of play that could be expected from Jackson moving forward, the minimal possibility is a factor in why it is perhaps wise for the Ravens to wait it out at the moment.
But at the moment.
Make no mistake. Do not let this get twisted. While my initial column mentioned the scenario where the Ravens are at some point forced to consider the possibility of trading their quarterback, I want there to be no ambiguity about this. Such a result is plainly unacceptable. The Ravens can drag their feet right now. They can hope that the market changes. They can wait through not only this season but probably next season as well if they desire. (Anything longer and Jackson might be too close to free agency to get a deal done.)
But if nothing changes, if the market remains exactly the same and Jackson continues to demand a fully guaranteed deal, make no mistake. The Ravens absolutely must end up doing the deal. They absolutely must “pay the man.” Holding the line might be helpful in how Steve Bisciotti is viewed within ownership circles, but it is not remotely helpful in terms of trying to win a Super Bowl. Or anything else.
A former player (who had a leadership role with the NFL Players Association) reached out to me after reading my column. Regarding the suggestion that Jackson (after Deshaun Watson) getting a fully guaranteed contract might help pave the way for all players to eventually seek similar deals and totally upend how football has operated, he was dismissive.
“I wish that was the case. But not every player has the leverage that these quarterbacks do. If I was still playing and asked for the same deal as Lamar, a GM would say to me he’d be happy to give it to me just as soon as I was Lamar Jackson.”
And at least in the short term, he’s probably right. Perhaps fully guaranteed contracts might eventually be commonplace within football. And perhaps given the risks of the sport, all players should receive such guarantees. But giving Jackson such a fully guaranteed deal alone won’t immediately open floodgates.
This conversation isn’t going away. “The price of the brick” memes will keep popping up every week. The numbers themselves might only be able to go up so much given the nature of the salary cap … but they’ll go up as much as they possibly can.
It’s not a concern today. Truly. The Ravens are 2-1. They have a big game coming up against the Bills. Their quarterback has been brilliant. We saw some signs of them being able to run the football with their running backs. The defense stepped up and made some big plays late against the Patriots. With more players expected to return from injury, help could be on the way.
But there’s no actual debate to be had about what the Ravens should do with Lamar Jackson. If time and circumstances can get them away from full guarantees, so be it. But if that’s what this ultimately comes down to, they have to do it.
Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox