Hold up, did you just hear what Baltimore Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said? He’s sounding super optimistic about locking down two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson with a contract extension by next March. This isn’t just some casual chat, folks. Jackson’s massive five-year, $260 million deal wraps up after the 2027 season, and these negotiations are going to be some of the wildest we’ve seen. This is about the future of a franchise and a generational talent!
Deja Vu? The Echoes of Past Battlegrounds
We all remember the drama from back in March 2023, don’t we? That whole scene when the Ravens dropped a non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson felt like a standoff. Lamar wasn’t having it; he outright requested a trade, stating point-blank that “the team has not been interested in meeting my value.” It got ugly. Eventually, they patched things up enough to ink his current five-year deal a month later in April 2023. Here’s the kicker though: Jackson is his own agent. He’s negotiating directly for potentially the biggest payday of his career. DeCosta is now *guessing* these fresh talks might just cruise along smoother. But after that public declaration and trade request, can we really expect it to be a walk in the park? The stakes are too high.
The MVP Talent Versus Recent Road Bumps
Let’s talk about the player here, because Lamar Jackson’s resume is absolutely bonkers. This dude is a two-time NFL MVP, a four-time Pro Bowler, and has earned First Team All-Pro honors three times! He’s guided the Ravens to the playoffs in six of his nine seasons. Get this: Pro Football Reference has him sitting first *all-time* in NFL history with an 8.3 adjusted passing yards per attempt and a 102.2 quarterback rating. Plus, he’s got a stunning 76-31 record as their starting QB. That’s elite.
But it wasn’t all sunshine last year, 2025. Lamar was hit with multiple injuries, missed four crucial games, and his production honestly took a dip after finishing second in the 2024 NFL MVP race. He even admitted in August that those injuries limited his signature mobility. The good news? He’s coming into *this* 2026 season healthy. If he flashes that “game-breaking dual threat” form he’s known for, his value is gonna go through the roof. We’re talking about a market where Patrick Mahomes pulled a $448 million deal ($64 million average per year). Josh Allen has $147 million guaranteed on his deal. Yeah, Deshaun Watson’s $230 million fully guaranteed deal is out there, but that one *seriously* backfired for his team due to poor performance, so that might be an outlier we don’t see replicated soon. Jackson is 29; he’s right in his prime, and keeping him long-term is crucial for Baltimore.
Get Ready for Kickoff, Then the Contract Countdown
So, yeah, DeCosta wants this new contract locked down by March. That gives both sides some runway. But first things first, the Ravens are diving headfirst into the 2026 season! They’re hitting the road for Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts on September 13. How Lamar performs out there, especially coming off that injury-riddled 2025 season, is gonna be the real fuel for those negotiation fires. Everyone’s gonna be glued to their screens, watching if a healthy Lamar can once again prove why he’s one of a kind. This season is going to be wild.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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