Jamison HensleyESPN staff writer4 minutes to read
Lamar Jackson sends a message to Ravens fans after agreeing to a 5-year extension
Lamar Jackson shares his excitement with Ravens fans after extending his contract by five years.
OWINGS MILLS, Md. Within a month, quarterback Lamar Jackson went from wanting to get out of Baltimore to signing its biggest deal crows date.
Consider it another one of Jackson’s spinning moves.
The team announced that after 27 months of tough negotiations, Jackson reached a five-year deal with the Ravens on Thursday.
The deal is worth $260 million, a source told ESPN, making Jackson the highest-paid player in the league at $52 million annually. It includes $185 million in secured funds, the source said.
Sources previously said Jackson was seeking $230 million in guaranteed money Deshaun Watson received from the Cleveland Browns last year. Kyler Murray received $189.5 million guaranteed from the Cardinals as part of his five-year, $230.5 million extension.
“Over the past few months, there’s been a lot he’s said,” Jackson said in a video posted by the Ravens to her Twitter account. “Lots of nail biting. Lots of head scratching going on.”
Jackson then held up a Ravens-themed football and said, “But over the next five years, there’s a lot of ‘herd’ going on.”
Jackson, who represented himself in the negotiations, secured his deal 10 days after Jalen Hurts signed a five-year contract for $255 million, including $180 million guaranteed. The agreement also came about shortly before the start of the NFL Draft, when the Ravens could pick a quarterback in the first round.
Last month, the Ravens placed a non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson, allowing him to negotiate with other teams and giving Baltimore the right to match any signed offer sheet. But no teams have publicly shown interest in him.
However, the two sides appeared to be destined for divorce on March 27, when Jackson announced that he had asked for a deal before head coach John Harbaugh spoke to reporters at the NFL’s annual meeting. Jackson wrote on Twitter that the Crows were “not interested in achieving my value” in contract talks.
Now, Jackson is in a position to make good on his draft day promise to the Ravens. It was five years and one day when, after being selected with the last pick of the first round, Jackson declared: “They’re going to get the Super Bowl from me, believe it.”
Jackson turned a franchise that had missed the playoffs for three straight seasons into a winner again. His career record of 45-16 (. 738) is fourth-best for a starting season debutant in the Super Bowl era.
In 2019, his first full season as a starter, Jackson became the unanimous second pick as the NFL MVP. He led the NFL in touchdown passes (36) and set a league record for most rushing yards by a quarterback (1,206).
But Jackson’s performance has been mired in injuries and uneven play lately. Over the past two seasons, he has thrown 33 touchdowns with 20 interceptions and missed a total of 11 games, including a 24-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Despite the lack of progress in contract talks over the years, Ravens officials have remained optimistic over and over again that the deal will work. Earlier this month, Ravens general manager Eric D’Costa said, “He’s the right player for this team to get us where we want to be.”
Now, the Crows know Jackson will be in Baltimore for another five years.
