Pro Football Rumors
We mentioned recently that, following the extension of wide receiver Rashod Bateman, an extension for quarterback Lamar Jackson would be at the forefront of the Ravens’ priorities for the remainder of the offseason. Well, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the plan was always for the two-time MVP to get a revised deal around this time.
Though Jackson became the highest-paid player in NFL history only two years ago, so many other quarterbacks have gotten new deals that he currently sits at 10th in the league in average annual value. Jackson and the team anticipated the inflating contract values when they formed his first extension, putting obscene cap hits starting in the third year of his contract to force both parties to return to the table. Jackson’s $43.5MM cap hit in 2025 in the fourth highest in the NFL this year. That cap hit jumps to $74.5MM in 2026 and 2027, giving him the third highest and highest cap hits in those respective years.
A return to the table would benefit both parties as a new contract would likely mean a raise for Jackson and some short-term cap savings for Baltimore. If Jackson once again becomes the highest-paid quarterback (per AAV) in the league, he will become the first player in NFL history to eclipse $60MM per year, and according to Rapoport, head coach John Harbaugh seemed to acknowledge at league meetings that Jackson could certainly be bound for that as of yet uncharted territory.
Rapoport predicts, too, that, paired with Bateman’s extension, the cap relief of a Jackson extension could help the team with another extension that’s likely on the docket for tight end Isaiah Likely.
Here are a few other rumors coming out of Charm City:
