“We are right there. I’m tired of being right there. We need to punch it in. We need to punch in that ticket.” The sting of playoff defeat can linger like a shadow, haunting even the highest-ranked QBs. For Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens, that shadow crept up on them last season after their 27-25 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The game slipped from their fingers when a single misstep – a dropped two-point conversion – sealed Baltimore’s fate. And with that snowy night’s defeat still fresh in his mind, Jackson has now broken his silence, pointing a clear finger at what went wrong. 

Throughout last season, the Ravens’ offense had shown flashes of brilliance. Lamar Jackson brought in MVP-level skills, and the team even ranked third in scoring. Still, in the crucible of playoff pressure, the unit faltered. The usually reliable connection between Jackson and TE Mark Andrews broke down. The conversion that would’ve tied the game slipped through Andrews’ hands. Watching the tapes later, Jackson had the answer to what went wrong in an almost remarkable 12-5 season: the offense.

When asked about last year’s defeat at a recent minicamp presser, Lamar Jackson didn’t mince any words. As Jackson put it, “Protecting the ball… I felt like when we protected the ball, we had no problems moving the ball down the field, you know, first, second down, we getting positive yards out of every play, you know. Just the turnovers, no turnovers, I feel like we win.” In the game against the Bills, they had given up three turnovers. And throughout the season, the Ravens gave up a total of 11 turnovers. If the offense hadn’t lost the ball so many times, last season could have turned out differently. And Jackson is keeping that in mind as he gears up for the new season. Fewer turnovers, more explosive conversions that lead to wins. That’s the mission he will be working on this year with the rest of the offense. 

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When asked how he got over the crushing defeat, Lamar Jackson admitted that he hasn’t forgotten it. For that matter, he hasn’t forgotten a single loss in his entire career. As he notably said, “I don’t think I get over any loss, to be honest. I got losses from youth football that still haunt me, you know? So, I never get over a loss.” But Jackson isn’t wallowing in sorrow even if he is haunted by the memory of that playoff defeat. The mission for the team is simple. As Lamar put it, “we going to bounce back and when we come back, I feel like we going to have vengeance on our mind.” Whether the spirit of vengeance brings the Ravens to the championships this year will only be known once the new season has gone on for a while. But for now, there’s another thing on the distant horizon for Lamar Jackson. The contract extension that he’s been waiting for.

Lamar Jackson’s contract situation

When Lamar Jackson received his last contract extension back in 2023, he was the highest-paid QB at the time. With a $260 million five-year deal that he negotiated himself. The QB had even put in a trade request because the deal wasn’t going through. But the QB market has changed drastically since then. Jackson now ranks 10th in terms of QB payouts. But when the reporters asked him about the contract development, Jackson didn’t answer. As he notably shot down the questions with, “I never discuss contract situations here… I don’t want to talk about it.”

But there is a growing belief in the league that when a deal does come through, it will be big. Lamar Jackson is projected to become the highest-paid QB again when the new contract hits. When a reporter asked him about what that thought sounds like, Jackson smirked and said, “Sounds good.” The Ravens have been securing key pieces in their roster all throughout this offseason. Derrick Henry and Rashod Bateman have big new contract extensions to their names. Jackson’s contract talks are still in the introductory stages at the moment.

Lamar Jackson is no stranger to playing the long game. And as GM Eric DeCosta had recently noted, “We’ve had some conversations before the draft, after the draft, in person… I think we’re in the introductory sort of stage of looking at what an extension might look like. – But as we look out over the next two, three, four, five, years, we’re trying to keep as many good players as we can.” While it looks like it might still be a long time before Jackson inks a new deal, the longer the front office waits, the prices are only going to go up. For now, Jackson will focus on the new season and rack up more MVP-level plays to help make his case.