Ravens slap non-exclusive franchise tag on Lamar Jackson – leaving door open for teams to swoop in
BREAKING: The Baltimore Ravens give a non-exclusive $32 million franchise tag to Lamar Jackson, leaving the door open for teams to rush in to find the superstar QB
The Ravens placed a non-exclusive franchise tag on star quarterback Lamar Jackson on Tuesday according to multiple reports, further casting doubt on his future in Baltimore.
Baltimore and Jackson have been unable to agree on a long-term extension to date, and the non-exclusive tag allows him to negotiate with other teams.
The Ravens will have the right to match any offer sheet he signs, or receive two first-round picks in exchange for Jackson.
If Jackson signs an offer sheet, the Ravens will have a week to match.
Baltimore and Jackson at this point have been negotiating for two years and are apparently far apart on a deal.
Lamar Jackson has yet to agree to a long-term extension with the Ravens
According to ESPN, Jackson wants a full guarantee like the $230 million, five-year guarantee given to Deshaun Watson last year.
Watson received an 11-game suspension by the league after being accused of sexual misconduct by two dozen women while playing for the Houston Texans.
While Jackson was the 2019 MVP and a two-time Pro Bowler, his market actually seems smaller than you might expect.
According ESPN’s Diana Russinithe Falcons won’t chase him.
Neither did the Commanders, according to Russini’s colleague John Keim.
That leaves Jackson with a couple of semi-realistic options.
The Panthers need a quarterback and they looked for Derek Carr before he signed with the Saints.
Jackson is now free to trade with other teams in free agency
Meanwhile, the Jets have been talking to Aaron Rodgers, but they may see Jackson as a better long-term option.
Also, the Colts and Texans are in the market for a quarterback and could offer high draft picks to the Ravens.
At the NFL combine last week, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said the team was well prepared to deal with the two-time Pro-Bowler’s future since the team was blown out by the Bengals in the second round. last season’s wild card game, 17-24.
“It’s not like we didn’t know we could be in this position,” DeCosta said. ‘
Last year at this point, we talked about it, so we had a full year to really discuss all the different plans. We will make the right decision.