New Ravens President Confident DeCosta Will Aptly Handle Lamar Jackson's New Deal

Baltimore looking to reach a long-term deal with franchise QB.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — New Ravens president Sashi Brown will not be the key negotiator in contract discussions with quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Instead, Brown will defer to GM Eric DeCosta for those talks. 

“No, that’s in Eric’s hands,' Brown said "Certainly, as Dick [Cass] was, I’ll be around to bounce ideas off, but Eric’s been a master, he’s learned from a master, and I think when those transactions [and] volume of transactions go up, I like our odds. Certainly, the Ravens over the years, we have been a group that has been highly transactional and really good at it. And so, they’ve been able to continue to develop players and transact with players to keep the roster fresh and competitive and keep their marquee players, but also have a pipeline of young talent here, too. 

"So, I think COVID certainly has impacted all the leagues, and that’s been a wrinkle in terms of the salary cap and what challenges teams are facing now, just because of the flux there, but this will play out in time." 

Jackson, the 2019 MVP, will make $23.02 million playing under his fifth-year option this season. That means he will make $1.28 million per week, which is almost the equivalent of his entire 2021 salary. Jackson also made $9.8 million in bonus money over his four-year career and he will surpass that number by Week 8, according to stats by CBS.

If the Ravens cannot reach a long-term deal with Jackson, they could place the franchise tag on him in 2023, which will pay him about $43.5 million per season. A second tag would require the team to give him a 120% raise, which would reportedly boost his salary to $52.2 million.

Jackson now could be looking for a deal worth about $50 million per season for an extension.

The Ravens have a tough decision to make with his future. 

"And again, if we line up with the GMs – 32 across the league – I like our chances with Eric," Brown said.