Report reveals 'no NFL team aggressively pursuing' Lamar Jackson
Lamar Jackson revealed he requested a trade from the Baltimore Ravens despite the franchise tag. ESPN’s Dan Graziano reported no NFL team aggressively pursued Jackson in free agency in terms of an offer sheet.
So at this point, Jackson and the Ravens are at an impasse. And at this point, the Ravens aren’t worried about specific scenarios not happening any time soon.
Basically, the Ravens want other teams to do the dirty work in terms of negotiations.
“By now, it’s becoming clear that no NFL team is aggressively pursuing Lamar Jackson or preparing an offer sheet at the moment,” Graziano wrote. “That can change at any point, but so far, there’s simply not much momentum. Jackson is clearly frustrated. Baltimore isn’t pressing the issue.
“The Ravens don’t need to do much until another team makes an offer, and I don’t get the sense that the Ravens are aggressively negotiating on a deal for Jackson right now. Collusion will remain a trending topic as more QB-needy teams rule themselves out of the Jackson sweepstakes.”
Despite the quarterback’s requested trade, head coach John Harbaugh told reporters, “That’s my guy,” and that he expects Jackson back in 2023.
However, a sign-and-trade could be a possibility if Jackson and the Ravens can’t mend fences.
“After asking some executives why they think the market is dry, the first reason usually given is that Baltimore would simply match any offer sheet, and thus the prospective team would do the legwork for the Ravens,” Graziano wrote. “Now, a sign-and-trade scenario would circumvent that process, especially if Baltimore feels like the QB-team relationship has reached a boiling point. But Baltimore’s desire to keep Jackson is a common refrain among teams. Then there’s the guaranteed money, the multiple first-round picks required to secure a deal and his durability concerns.”
The Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on the starting quarterback five days after he requested the trade. By doing so, the Ravens can continue to work on a long-term deal with Jackson with the ability to match any offer sheet that comes in from another team.
Jackson, drafted No. 32 overall by the Ravens in the 2018 NFL Draft, has spent his entire career in Baltimore so far.
He was the NFL MVP during the 2019 season.