The Baltimore Ravens suffered their first loss of the season on Sunday, falling 42-38 to the Miami Dolphins in what turned out to be quite a spectacle between two teams that were coming into Week 2 undefeated.
For his part, Lamar Jackson did all he could to carry his team to victory. He had another eye-popping performance for the Ravens, which prompted a rather fiery take from Super Bowl champ Richard Sherman with regard to Jackson's contract situation with Baltimore:
“Imagine being the @Ravens and thinking its a good decision to make your MVP Franchise QB play out his rookie deal when he has done everything right by that franchise. Smh you hate to see it. Hoping he gets the last laugh,” Sherman wrote in his tweet.
He's not wrong here. Instead of giving their superstar quarterback an extension this summer, the Ravens decided not to do so. Jackson himself made it abundantly clear that he wanted an extension, even putting Baltimore on the clock by declaring a deadline on the negotiations. In the end, however, the Ravens didn't budge, and Lamar Jackson will now be playing out his rookie deal in 2022.
It remains to be seen if this was the right decision for the Ravens. They've taken a huge gamble here, and it's very much possible that Jackson ends up walking away from the team once his contract expires. Baltimore has the option to frachise tag him at the end of this season, though, which is likely why they were unwilling to pay him this summer.