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REVEALED: Lamar Jackson didn’t travel to Cincinnati to be with his teammates for the Ravens’ big playoff game against the Bengals… leaving his future in Baltimore even more uncertain as free agency nears
Lamar Jackson has added fuel to speculation about his future with the Baltimore Ravens after it was reported that he opted not to travel to Cincinnati with the team for Sunday’s playoff loss against the Bengals.
Star quarterback Jackson is injured and therefore unable to play in the wild card game, but it was a surprise that he was not traveling with the team, as NBC’s Melissa Stark reported before kickoff.
Jackson, 26, is currently in a contract impasse with the Ravens after negotiations were called off early in the season so the team could focus on the season.
Lamar Jackson’s future with the Baltimore Ravens remains unclear after he stayed home
Jackson is injured, but it was a surprise that he did not opt to travel to Cincinnati for the playoffs.
Now that his season is over after the loss in Cincinnati, attention is likely to turn to the quarterback’s future and whether he stays in Baltimore or continues his impressive career away from the team that drafted him in the first round in 2018.
His decision not to travel with the team will no doubt increase speculation about his moving elsewhere as he seeks a big contract in his prime.
It was previously reported that Jackson has been pushing for a contract more in line with Deshaun Watson’s at the Cleveland Browns, after he was awarded a fully guaranteed, $230 million, five-year deal.
In fact, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti was the first NFL boss to publicly criticize Watson’s deal, though Jackson has since insisted that he is “an independent man” and will not be affected by other contracts. .
Jim Harbaugh will have to wait and see if his star quarterback sticks with the franchise.
Jackson conspicuously doesn’t have any agents and has traded for himself throughout his career in talks with the Ravens.
The quarterback hasn’t played a game since Dec. 4, when he injured his left knee against the Denver Broncos.
He was initially designated on a week-by-week basis by head coach John Harbaugh and was expected to return before the end of the regular season.
That was later pushed back, with Jackson posting on Twitter Thursday to imply he wouldn’t be available for Sunday night’s game.
Deshaun Watson’s $230 million, five-year, fully guaranteed contract changed the quarterback market
In his message, he wrote: ‘Thank you all for your support and concern for my injuries. I want to give everyone an update as I am in the recovery process.
‘I have suffered a grade 2 PCL sprain bordering on a strain 3. There is still swelling around my knee and my knee remains unstable. I am still in a good mood as I continue my treatments on the road to recovery.
“I wish I could be with my guys more than anything, but I can’t give 100% of myself to my guys and fans. I’m still hopeful that we still have a chance.”
Now, though, if Jackson can’t reach a deal with the Ravens, he may have played his last game with the franchise.
As it stands, he’s heading into the offseason without a contract, while the Ravens could still use their franchise tag to keep him on their books.