'Pay the Man!': Josh Norman Tells Ravens to Seal Lamar Jackson's Long-Term Fate

Josh Norman used to do everything he could to stop Lamar Jackson's success. Now, he's imploring the Baltimore Ravens to end the free agency drama.

It's not often you'll see a secondary defender standing up for a quarterback. But Lamar Jackson's contract situation with the Baltimore Ravens more or less forced Josh Norman to break protocol.

Norman, a former All-Pro defender set to linger on free agency as he's unwilling to officially walk from the game at this point, commented on the simmering stand-off between the Ravens and their franchise quarterback.  

That stand-off is set to reach a crescendo of sorts with the deadline to place a franchise tag (perhaps non-exclusive?) on Jackson lingering on Tuesday. Speaking on Fox Sports' "The Carton Show," Norman refused to entertain the thought of the Ravens not offering Jackson a long-term deal.

"You've got to pay the man. At the end of the day, somebody's going to pay him," Norman told titular host Craig Carton. "They're going to pay him a whole bunch of money. It's going to be you, or it's going to be somebody else. So you've got to make a choice. I'd rather live with Lamar than die by him. That's just me."

The 11-year NFL veteran, who returned to his original employers in Carolina last season, claimed that Jackson is "built for (the Ravens) franchise," noting that the team's offense has drastically improved since he took over for longtime franchise man Joe Flacco in 2018. 

Though he acknowledges that Jackson's self-representation in lieu of an agent and his medical woes have been concerning - he has yet to start a full season in his five years in Charm City - there's no doubt that Jackson has, at the very least, fulfilled expectations placed upon a first-round quarterback. 

In that regard, Norman explains, Jackson has fulfilled the goal of serving as a Flacco successor and Baltimore would be silly to start the process all over again.

"You, obviously, meant to go there. You have (him) in your mind as the foreseeable future, this is your guy," he said. "Having him this long, for him to be ... I think he's made $36 million so far in his career, for having him that long and he's actually carried your team this far. You have to take ... those things into account and be like 'listen, I'm going to pay my guy. He's been with us this long, I know him, I'm comfortable with him, I'm going to pay him!'" 

Since Jackson took over as the full-time starter in 2019, the Ravens rank sixth in the NFL in total offense and have amassed a 43-23 record. Playoff success has eluded them, thanks in part to Jackson's injury-induced departures, but they nonetheless remain of the league's most consistent contenders. 

General manager Eric DeCosta certainly has plenty of decisions to make in what's sure to be a busy offseason, but if it was up to Norman, one of his biggest quandaries would've been resolved a long time ago.

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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