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Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson reportedly turned down a contract worth “about $250 million.” Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray signed the most recently, but the team failed to deliver a deal that came close to the $230 million guaranteed deal the Cleveland Browns offered Deshaun Watson.
Jackson, the only one of the aforementioned quarterbacks with an MVP title, wanted a full-fledged job similar to Watson’s. guaranteed transaction. The Ravens refused to make such an offer, leading to a stalemate that would see Jackson end in the fifth year of his rookie deal and then potentially get a franchise next March.
“He and I talked a little bit yesterday and it was like, ‘Hey man, let’s be the best and focus on football ,'” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “That’s what he’s been doing, so I know it’s not going to change anything. [We’re] just focused on Sunday.”
Jackson acts as his own agent and says he doesn’t want to negotiate during the season. While Jackson has been taking the advice of his mother and the NFLPA, Jackson’s representation of himself may prove to be a mistake in the long run.
Comes from the logical point of view that Jackson wants to match Watson’s fully guaranteed contract and surpass him The general contract is justified. Jackson is the most accomplished of the two quarterbacks on the field and doesn’t have a massive off-court issue like Watson, who will be suspended 11 games for alleged sexual assault and misconduct with more than 20 women .
From a practical standpoint, a veteran agent may have been able to explain that the Ravens would never match the trade. NFL teams were outraged that the Browns offered Watson a fully guaranteed deal, a move that arguably left teams like the Ravens down in contract negotiations with their franchise quarterback.
Wilson and Murray finally caved and accepted more standard deals that did not include full warranties. The Broncos only gave Wilson a full $124 million guarantee, while Murray received a full $103 million guarantee from the Cardinals. While millions are actually guaranteed given the structure of their respective contracts, those numbers pale in comparison to the deal given to Watson.
With Jackson trying to fill the boat for himself, and the Ravens hesitating to set a precedent, these negotiations are always doomed.
