Will Ravens Regret Big Contracts?

The Baltimore Ravens have committed quite a lot of money to just a few players.

Jan 20, 2024; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) drops back to throw against the Houston Texans in the first 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

The Baltimore Ravens know as well as any other NFL team that elite talent comes at a cost, literally.

Of course, great players need to be paid as such, and in a league with a hard salary cap, those contracts can add up quickly. Baltimore is already feeling the effects of said contracts, as it's already over next year's projected salary cap.

Two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson is by far the Ravens' biggest contract, as the five-year, $260 million deal he signed last offseason was the largest in NFL history at the time of signing. According to Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon though, the Ravens will regret signing Jackson to that deal sooner or later.

"While Jackson immediately put together an MVP campaign for the Ravens, he again failed to get them to a Super Bowl," Gagnon writes. "Now, he'll become more expensive and the rest of the roster will decline as a result. What's more, we're talking about a somewhat fragile, often-exposed quarterback who has failed to complete two of his last three seasons."

Additionally, Gagnon believes the Ravens will also regret the four-year, $98 million deal they handed defensive tackle Justin Madubuike earlier this offseason. As such, Baltimore is the only team to appear twice on Gagnon's list of recent contracts teams are already likely to regret.

"While Madubuike broke out with a career-high 13 sacks and a second-team All-Pro nod in 2023, that was his first campaign with even six-plus sacks or even a single forced fumble," Gagnon writes. "The 2020 third-round pick could very well be a one-year wonder."

While Gagnon believes that both players will decline soon, it's equally likely that they will maintain their level of play or even improve further. After all, Jackson and Madubuike are 27 and 26 respectively, so they should have another few years of peak production in them. Not to mention that they play some of the most important positions in football, Jackson especially.

There's no denying that the Ravens invested a lot of money into these two players, but considering Jackson won his second MVP award in the first season of his new deal and Madubuike's hasn't even kicked in yet, it seems reasonable to reserve judgement for a while longer.

Make sure you bookmark Ravens Country for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

• Ravens High On New-Look Secondary
• Patrick Queen Fires Back At Ravens CB
• Ravens' CB Responds To Patrick Queen's Jabs
• Will Ravens' O-Line Questions Cost Them?
• Analyst Names Ravens WR As Player To Watch