Baltimore Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson requested a trade from the team, as a long negotiation has still not resulted in a long-term deal, and Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard spoke on the possibility of acquiring Jackson.
“Any time a special player is available – which he is – you gotta do the work,” Chris Ballard said of Lamar Jackson, via Zak Keefer of The Athletic. “I'm not gonna get into deep discussions on where it's at, what we're doing or what we might do, but he's a really special player. You never know how any of this will work out.”
The Ravens used the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson ahead of the deadline this offseason. That pays Jackson roughly $32.4 million for the 2023 season, according to Spotrac, but it does not give the long-term flexibility that Jackson is seeking.
Jackson could opt to play on the one-year franchise tag, but it is clear at this point that he does not intend to do that. The Colts are also in an interesting spot when it comes to quarterback.
Indianapolis holds the fourth-overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, it is assumed that the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans will take quarterbacks with the first two picks in the draft. The Arizona Cardinals hold the third pick, and they are locked in with Kyler Murray long-term, but the possibility remains of them trading out of that spot. That could result in the Colts missing out on CJ Stroud, Bryce Young and Anthony Richardson.
Knowing where the Colts stand in their quarterback room and in the draft, sitting behind the Panthers, Texans and Cardinals, it makes sense that Ballard is doing his due diligence on Jackson.
Follow Us
Subscribe