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Ever since the Cleveland Browns signed former Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson on a $230 million multi-year guaranteed contract, the quarterback market took a serious hit. Both for the players and the owners. Top quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson want something in Deshaun’s range. Conversely, other NFL teams don’t want to act desperately like the Browns. And many in the NFL world have stated their doubts about teams indulging in collusion. However, an NFL executive recently squashed these assumptions of collusion.

In an exclusive anonymous interview with The Athletic’s Mike Sando, the league insiders clearly indicated that Lamar Jackson isn’t attracting other team offers. And not because of the quarterback market economics, but because of his own lack of postseason success and a long history of injuries.

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The deteriorating relationship between the Baltimore Ravens and their dual-threat quarterback looks to be beyond the point of salvage. Lamar tweeted his wish to be traded after the Ravens placed him on the non-exclusive franchise tag. Not happy with the $32.416 million cap hit it comes with, Lamar is looking for something higher than the already rejected $133 million three-year guaranteed deal offered by Baltimore late last year.

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The non-exclusive tag allows other franchises to offer a deal to Action Jackson. However, the Ravens can still match the offer within five days or receive two first-round draft picks in return. However, not a lot of offers have come in for the 2019 NFL MVP and former Heisman winner. Collusion? Or do NFL teams collectively have no faith in the Louisville star? One NFL executive laughed off the first option, claiming that things would be vastly different had it been 2x Super Bowl champion, Patrick Mahomes, in Lamar’s place.

If Patrick Mahomes were in Lamar’s shoes, he would have 30 offer sheets, all guaranteed,” the anonymous exec said. “The issue with Lamar is, the way he plays, no one has ever really played that way for a long time, and you have to completely change your team to do it. That is fine on a rookie deal, but you are not doing it at $50 million after two injury-plagued years.

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Fans seemed to agree with the executive assessment of Lamar Jackson

Lamar Jackson missed the last six games this regular season due to his knee injury, including the playoff loss in the first round to the Bengals. Last year, it was his ankle that ruled him out for the last 5 games of the regular season. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, on the other hand, played through a high ankle sprain suffered in the divisional round to ultimately win the Vince Lombardi trophy against all odds.

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Lamar’s rushing offense does pose an additional threat. However, with the emergence of more dual-threat quarterbacks in the league like Justin Fields and Jalen Hurts, Action Jackson may be losing his leverage.

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With a 1-3 postseason record, Bill Belichick and the Patriots have already passed up on Jackson. The Colts are a possibility, as they are one of the few remaining teams in the league that can afford Lamar’s cap hit next season. Where do you think Action Jackson lands next season?

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Soumyapriyo Ganguly

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Soumyapriyo Ganguly is an NFL writer at EssentiallySports. Ganguly (or Rivu, as he is affectionately known) is a sports enthusiast and a comprehensive all-rounder when it comes to dissecting high-profile matchups. He brings his academic background in Economics and Finance to the fore to provide insights into franchise finances and player contracts. His latest article, "Analyzing Tom Brady's $50 Million Contract with the Buccaneers" has been well-received with over 1 million readers. Despite being drawn to the snowy weather of Buffalo, Ganguly's favorite player is Super Bowl Champion QB Patrick Mahomes. He is a big fan of NBA point guard Luka Doncic and enjoys watching him break ankles on the court as a member of the Dallas Mavericks. In addition, Ganguly is a passionate fan of MMA and cheers for Kamaru Usman in the ring. In his free time, he can be found playing basketball and perfecting his jump shot. The snowy weather of Buffalo entices Ganguly but the hot throws of Super Bowl Champion QB Patrick Mahomes are his favorite. He loves to watch ankle breakers from the point guard Luka Doncic from his favorite team in NBA, Dallas Mavericks. He is also an avid MMA lover and roots for Kamaru Usman in the ring.

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Hitesh Nigam

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