Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens have had conversations about a massive contract extension, but the fact that Jackson is his own agent is holding up a deal actually getting worked out, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
While both sides eventually expect a deal to get done, Schefter notes that Jackson's actual job, which is to dominate as the Ravens' star quarterback, is getting in the way of an agreement. The quarterback has been “immersed” in preparation as Baltimore gets ready for the season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night, so the negotiations haven't been a priority.
There's not really a huge rush to get a deal done since one can be worked out during the season. However, it surely would have been more ideal to get the contract extension out of the way before the real games started. There's always the risk of a major injury to complicate matters, especially considering how much the Ravens quarterback runs the ball and gets hit.
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Buffalo Bills star quarterback Josh Allen is currently the only first-round quarterback to get a big extension from the 2018 draft class. It was a record-breaking deal for Allen, and Jackson will likely get something in that ballpark. After all, Jackson did win MVP two seasons ago and was a unanimous winner. He's also the first player in NFL history to produce 5,000 yards passing and 2,500 yards rushing in the first three seasons of his career.
Jackson has had some postseason struggles, with just one playoff win under his belt. However, at 24 years old, he has plenty of time to fix that. Unfortunately, injuries have already battered the Ravens even before this season has started, so the quarterback is going to have to really step it up to overcome that adversity.
The No. 32 pick in 2018 is making $1.77 million in base salary in 2021 before making over $23 million in 2022.
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