The Baltimore Ravens could not agree on a contract extension with Lamar Jackson earlier than the beginning of the brand new league yr.
As such, they’d no alternative however to unilaterally restructure his contract.
They’ve now reportedly converted most of his base wage right into a signing bonus ($49.95M), with an $1.3M base wage and a $750K exercise bonus.
That revised deal added a void yr to his contract, decreasing his cap hit by $39.96M this season however elevating it to almost $85M subsequent yr.
Greater than that, as NFL Community insider Tom Pelissero reported, it leaves the Ravens in a troublesome spot if Jackson decides to stroll in free company.
Ravens nonetheless aren’t within the clear with Lamar Jackson
“The Ravens have made clear since final yr they need to prolong Lamar Jackson, which might enable them to maintain pushing cap hits into the long run. As of now, he’s signed by 2027 and has a no-tag clause, which means he would have the ability to hit free company in 2028,” Pelissero explained.
Contract negotiations between the Ravens and Jackson have been bitter since he received his first extension. He does not have an agent, and that solely makes the method a bit extra sophisticated.
Jackson reportedly needs a top-of-the-market deal, identical to occurs each time a quarterback resets the market.
He has but to make a deep postseason run, and there are some main considerations about his sturdiness and work ethic.
It’s going to be attention-grabbing to see what he can accomplish now that John Harbaugh is not within the constructing and a revamped protection beneath Jesse Minter is in place.
That may solely put extra strain on GM Eric DeCosta to get a deal accomplished earlier than he can take a look at free company and so they lose him for nothing.
