Lamar Jackson 'Didn't Have a Doubt' on Ravens Signing, Eyes Super Bowl

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson spoke publicly Thursday for the first time since agreeing to his record-breaking contract extension, declaring his intent to finish his career in Baltimore ... and bring the city a Super Bowl.

For months, quarterback Lamar Jackson's future with the Baltimore Ravens seemed uncertain.

There were dead periods of no contact between the two sides. At others, a simple disagreement on contract terms and the resulting non-exclusive franchise tag. And, of course, the pinnacle - when Jackson requested a trade in early March.

Outside rumors intensified, and the idea of Jackson playing elsewhere grew more common - for most except for the 2019 Most Valuable Player.

"I thought we would get the process done," Jackson said. "I didn't have a doubt in my mind because they love me, I love being here, I love my teammates and I love the fan base. I really love the fan base and my teammates, so I didn't have a doubt, really."

This "they," of course, is Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta and coach John Harbaugh, the driving forces behind Jackson's league-record five-year, $260 million contract extension.

Jackson, who represented himself during the process, noted the constant line of communication between the two sides, stating they "didn't really ever stop negotiating" and always kept in contact.

As for the one time when there was a slight break in talks, Jackson said he was in the midst of recovering from his PCL injury and was tired after his workouts and rehab, while adding that he received a lot of messages from a variety of people, only taking his attention elsewhere.

It was always a "back and forth" process, not a one-sided persuasion or desperation attempt. The Ravens continued working, bringing in pieces for Jackson like receiver Odell Beckham Jr., a friend of the star passer.

But, per Jackson, it wasn't a direct recruitment on his part, as Beckham reached out to him, sparking the idea of a potential pairing - during which Jackson once more expressed his passion for staying in Baltimore.

"Having Odell and those guys reach out to me like, 'Man, we need you here.' It was like, 'I want to be there.' It's not like I want to leave anyways, it was business," Jackson said.

And that "business" ultimately led Jackson to where he wanted to be all along - Baltimore, with DeCosta and Harbaugh. He's already had positive conversations with new offensive coordinator Todd Monken and first-round receiver Zay Flowers and is excited about what both bring to the table.

But through it all, the relationship with and belief from DeCosta and Harbaugh held strong and meant "a lot," even before the additions. It's why Jackson never felt overly interested in conversing with other teams - he noted he "wouldn't want to go any other place."

And now, Jackson's wish - or maybe intuition - has come true ... and with this "business" finished, he's set his sights on getting back to what he does best: winning, with an eye towards the ultimate prize.

"To be honest with you, I really didn't care for other teams," Jackson said. "I just really wanted to get something done here. I wanted to be here. It was like, 'OK, other teams (are) cool, but I want to be a Raven.'

"Before my time's up and I branch off somewhere else, I really want to finish my career here and win a Super Bowl here."

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You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter at @DFlickDraft

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