Lamar Jackson is bringing the ache.
That ache isn’t confined to opponents, however Jackson is sticking it to the Ravens simply as arduous. In the first half of Baltimore’s Week 2 recreation in opposition to the Miami Dolphins, he threw for 210 yards with three landing passes and simply two incompletions, connecting on almost 85 p.c of his makes an attempt.
While Baltimore’s protection melted down in the fourth quarter and the Dolphins got here from behind to win 42-38, that’s not on Jackson. All he did was shine, throwing a 75-yard landing move and scrambling for a 79-yard landing run, changing into the first participant ever to do each in a single recreation.
Jackson is doing it his means, which occurs to be by means of the air. He isn’t seeking to take off and run on many of those performs, though he did rush for almost 40 yards on six carries in the first half-hour of the recreation. The backside line is that in his contract 12 months, the younger star is on a mission to point out his franchise that they need to’ve paid him what he needed in the offseason.
The Ravens are reportedly not inclined to supply Jackson the absolutely assured $200 million contract he needs. Jackson allegedly turned down a proposal simply earlier than the begin of the season value $290 million as a result of the cash wasn’t absolutely assured. In the meantime, he’s on monitor to earn $23 million this 12 months — a cut price for Baltimore given his lights-out play.
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And at this point, no matter how eye-popping Jackson’s request might be, the Ravens and their owner, Steve Bisciotti, would be crazy not to pay.
Baltimore could be in big trouble at the bargaining table if Jackson continues on this hot streak. In Week 1 against the Jets, Jackson threw three TDs and one interception. Then came his stellar play this week. And with every huge game, Baltimore looks sillier and sillier if they allow him to walk.
If Jackson can keep up this level of play, the Ravens will be in a tricky situation next offseason. Averaging anywhere near three passing TDs per game is MVP territory — a trophy he’s already taken once, when he became only the second player to ever win the award unanimously. (Tom Brady was the first.)
Jackson is sticking to his plan, and it’s working out so far. The fact that he’s negotiating without an agent feels far less relevant than some want you to believe. He’s not the first player to have done it and surely won’t be the last — Richard Sherman handled his own contract talks with the 49ers in 2019 (and was criticized after settling for just $3 million guaranteed). The difference is that Sherman had been seen as “past his prime,” although he did make the Pro Bowl in 2019. Also, Sherman wasn’t a quarterback, so the spotlight wasn’t as bright.
Baltimore is months away from having to make an extremely tough decision. One of the toughest in the history of the franchise. They can stick to their guns and refuse to fully guarantee Jackson’s deal, or risk him walking away at the end of the season after completing the fifth and final year on his rookie deal. The odds of Baltimore finding another once-in-a-generation franchise QB to follow Lamar are slim. It happened for the Colts and Packers that way, but it’s incredibly rare.
Whether it’s with the Ravens or a different organization, Jackson is setting himself up for a monumental payday with how he’s playing early in the season. There will be a team willing to take that chance on a former MVP and one of the 10 best QBs in the league today. Hopefully, Baltimore doesn’t let this type of talent get away.
It’s arduous to discover a QB that may put your staff in playoff rivalry 12 months after 12 months after they’re wholesome. The Ravens have that however appear prepared to danger all of it and doubtlessly let Jackson stroll over to a different staff with none compensation. If you’re a Ravens fan, that might be the hardest capsule to swallow.
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