Lamar Jackson vs. Deshaun Watson: Falcons Owner Arthur Blank on 'Very Different' Trades

After pursuing now-Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson last offseason, many linked the Atlanta Falcons to Baltimore Ravens signal caller Lamar Jackson via trade this spring ... but owner Arthur Blank put the comparison to rest.

The Atlanta Falcons have been listed as a potential trade candidate for Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson throughout the offseason - but it's officially no more.

And evidently, it never really was.

ESPN previously reported that Atlanta never had any interest in acquiring Jackson, and Falcons coach Arthur Smith announced that last year's third-round pick Desmond Ridder will start under center entering next season.

So, where did the idea of the Falcons' connection to Jackson stem from?

One popular idea links Atlanta's pursuit of now-Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson from last year as a notion that the Dirty Birds are willing to go after a big-name signal caller.

But is it applicable to Jackson? Falcons owner Arthur Blank doesn't think so, dubbing the two situations "very different" before elaborating further at the owner's meetings.

"Different player, different time," Blank said, via The Athletic's Josh Kendall. "You have a winner (in Jackson), a MVP in the league. There's no question he's one of the top quarterbacks in the league ... (but) looking at it objectively, I'd say there's some concern over how long he can play his style of game."

Blank added that he hopes Jackson will continue playing for a "long time" but pointed out that he's missed several games over the past few seasons.

"Each game counts a lot in our business," Blank said.

Watson, of course, was once a ball boy for the Falcons and had close ties with Blank and his family dating back to his younger years; there was an element of comfortability that overruled the off-field questions which ultimately led to Watson getting an 11-game suspension after sitting out the 2021 season.

But for Blank, that comfort doesn't seem to exist with Jackson and his on-field injury history, prompting "concern" over longevity.

And with that, any last thought of a potential Falcons pursuit of Jackson, who requested a trade from Baltimore earlier this month, appears officially over ... and unlikely to become a possibility moving forward.

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You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft

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