A renowned ESPN analyst has given his take on the current contract situation of the Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson. The analyst thinks Jackson has the power to decide his future.
” Most of the time, great quarterbacks don’t become free agents, but normally they get to the end of their contract, and the team has some leverage in a franchise tag or some way to be able to start negotiations,” ESPN analyst Domonique Foxworth said on his show. “Like Mahomes and Allen, they just renegotiate way ahead of time.
” I don’t think it’s coincidence that Lamar had all that leverage or has all that leverage headed into this season and then a lot of changes were made. … At the end of the season, he can decide what he wants to do,” “If he wants to sign an extension, or if they offer him an extension he doesn’t like, ‘Well, I’ll play for $80 million, or you trade me to exactly who I wanna go and play for.'”
Jackson is currently on a five-year, $260 million contract with $185 million guaranteed. Although the Ravens failed to negotiate an extension with Jackson, they restructured his contract on March 11, reducing his 2026 salary cap hit to $34.54 million from $74.5 million to make room for their free agents, and increasing his 2027 salary cap figure from $74.5 million to $84.49 million.
Jackson also has no-trade and no-tag clauses. If the Ravens fail to offer him a contract by the end of the 2027 season, there is a good chance the famed quarterback suits up for a different team in 2028.
Losing Jackson could be catastrophic for the Ravens. He is among the best in the league and remains a key piece in the team’s machinery. Without Lamar Jackson in the mix, the Ravens’ odds will go down drastically. Derrick Henry and Justin Jefferson need a quarterback like him to keep the offense potent.
Amid the Ravens trying to keep Jackson, he doesn’t seem interested in talking about it.
“I’m gonna keep it the same way I’ve been keeping it. You know, not here,” Jackson said at the start of the training camp in late July. “You know, it’s private between me and the GM. [I will] focus on football, like it’s always been.”
Amid Jackson not actively responding to contract questions, NFL insider Jason La Canfora suggested that Jackson could end up signing with the New York Jets if they hire former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin as their head coach.
“A potential Tomlin hire could immediately trigger secondary moves across the league,” La Canfora said on August 25. “With conversations pointing toward a pursuit of two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson.
“If Tomlin takes the reins in New York, where the Jets boast premium draft capital—including three first-round selections—there is a belief Jackson would strongly evaluate the destination. The pair share a deep mutual respect built over years of AFC North battles, and New York’s defensive core provides an immediate foundation for a contender”
Mike Tomlin has always preferred veteran quarterbacks. And Jets fans would easily say yes to Jackson in the black and Green, as opposed to their current situation with Geno Smith. The veteran pales in comparison to the Baltimore QB. If the move does pan out, it’ll be heartbreak for Baltimore.
For what it’s worth, Jackson said last year that he wants to be in Baltimore for as long as possible.
“Absolutely, man. Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. I don’t even know where that comes from. We have to focus on winning right now. So, contract talk can be after the season or whatever, but during the season, I’m locked in.”
Perhaps the itch to win the Super Bowl might force Jackson to look for greener pastures. He has made the Pro Bowl four times and has won the NFL MVP award twice in his career. But remains without the Lombardi, failing in his five trips to the postseason.
Can Baltimore hang on to Lamar Jackson when 2027 comes around?