Lamar Jackson, Ravens Agree to Five-Year Extension
BALTIMORE - Lamar Jackson finally has his deal.
The former Louisville star quarterback and 2019 MVP has agreed "in principle" with the Baltimore Ravens to a five-year extension, the organization announced Thursday.
The deal is worth $260 million according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, surpassing Jalen Hurts' recent five-year, $255 million extension to be the highest-paid player in the NFL. Jackson also receives $185 million guaranteed, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
It concludes a lengthy, and at times tense, negotiation between the two sides, as Jackson and the Ravens have been working to get a long-term deal done for the better part of two years.
For a while, it seemed like Jackson could be on his way out of Baltimore. The Ravens placed him under the non-exclusive franchise tag worth $32.416 million back on Mar. 7, leaving open the possibility that another team could sign him to an offer sheet that Baltimore had the option to match.
On Mar. 27, Jackson took to Twitter and announced that five days prior to being tagged, he had requested a trade from Ravens, igniting a firestorm of trade rumors. However, he played an active role in Baltimore's recruitment and signing of wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., and the two sides made significant progress in negotiations ahead of the start of the NFL Draft.
The 6-foot-2, 212-pound quarterback missed the last five games of the 2022 regular season as well as the playoffs due to injury, but still put together a fantastic year. He completed 62.3 percent of his passes for 2,242 yards and 17 touchdowns to just seven picks, while rushing 112 times for 764 yards and three touchdowns. The Ravens went 10-7 during the regular season, falling 24-17 at Cincinnati in the Wild Card round.
Since being drafted by Baltimore with the final first round pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, the Pompano Beach, Fla. native has been one of the most electric players in the NFL. He has led the Ravens to a 45-16 record as a starter, including winning the 2019 NFL MVP. In 70 total games, he has amassed 16,646 total yards of offense and 125 touchdowns.
Jackson is without a doubt the top player in Louisville Football history. He set numerous records during his three year tenure with the Cardinals, finishing his collegiate career with 9,043 yards passing, 4,132 yards rushing and 119 total touchdowns. He became the school's first ever Heisman Trophy winner after accumulating 5,114 total yards and 51 total touchdowns in 2016.
(Photo of Lamar Jackson: Mitch Stringer - USA TODAY Sports)
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