Will Ravens' Lamar Jackson Set QB Contract Record?

The quarterback market is rapidly growing, and Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson may want to take notice.

Jan 20, 2024; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs the ball to score a touchdown against Houston Texans defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (98) and defensive tackle Khalil Davis (94) during the fourth quarter of a 2024 AFC divisional round game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

With the quarterback market rapidly inflating, the Baltimore Ravens probably feel good about having two-time MVP Lamar Jackson under contract through 2027.

Jackson, whose five-year, $260 million contract was the largest in NFL history at the time of signing, ranks fifth among quarterbacks at $52 million per year. The four quarterbacks who rank above him, Justin Herbert at $52.5 million per year, Jared Goff at $53 million, and Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence at $55 million each, don't come close to Jackson in terms of accomplishments. Granted, they all signed their contracts after Jackson so this is just the natural course of the market, but the Ravens are still getting their money's worth.

As one would expect, though, the quarterback market is bound to grow even further. Three other notable quarterbacks in Dak Prescott, Tua Tagovailoa and Jordan Love are all due for new contracts soon, and inevitably, a signal-caller will be making $60 million per year.

Who could be the first to reach that plateau? Well, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk lists Jackson as a candidate to do so, albeit as a dark horse.

"Consider this wrinkle. If the Ravens had given Jackson a market-level deal after 2020 (and not after 2022), he’d be three years into his second deal and, riding last year’s MVP award, in position to ask for an extension," Florio writes. "That logic could prompt him to ask for one now.

"At this point, there’s no reason to think Jackson wants to revisit his contract. If he unexpectedly decides to take a stand, he could potentially emerge from a training-camp holdout as the first $60 million quarterback.

Florio makes a good point that the Ravens could've saved more money by signing Jackson to a contract earlier than they did. However, that wasn't entirely their fault as Jackson declined a an extension during the 2022 offseason that would've made him one of the league's highest-paid quarterbacks at the time.

Again, though, Jackson is under contract for four more seasons. The Ravens don't need to sign him to a new deal any time soon, and with the salary cap already being a concern, doing so would probably not be in their best interest.

Ultimately, Jackson's next contract is a bridge for the Ravens to cross much, much later.

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