Lamar Jackson: Pay the man
As the rookie contracts for the 2018 draft class reached their final year in 2021, its time for big boy money. For first round picks, many teams picked up the fifth year option on their players. However most are looking for big paydays in long term deals as contract negotiations rage forward this offseason. Busts like Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, Billy Price and Mike Hughes have found themselves on new teams looking for new opportunities. Question mark players such as Baker Mayfield, Saquon Barkley and Isaiah Wynn will be playing for their football lives in 2022 as Josh Allen, Frank Ragnow and Vita Vea have already put pen to paper on their new deals. Yet there is one man, the only man to win MVP in the 2018 draft class who remains lost in the business for front office football. Where players like Derwin James, Jaire Alexander, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Quenton Nelson enter the offseason as established superstars who have a handshake understanding that their extensions are more of a matter of when then if, one man stands alone. His name is Lamar Jackson. Wait, let me rephrase. 2019 NFL MVP Lamar Jackson. Wait let me rephrase. Two time NFL Pro Bowler and 2019 passing touchdowns leader Lamar Jackson. Wait, let me try again. Two time division champion Lamar Jackson. My point is clear, Jackson has done everything he possibly could do from an individual perspective in his first four years in the league yet himself and the Ravens seem to be no closer to a deal then Josh Rosen is to being a solid NFL quarterback (Keep in mind Rosen was the 10th overall selection as Jackson was 32nd, NFL GM’s have been undervaluing Jackson his whole life). Here’s what I say to Lamar, do not put one foot in Baltimore till the ink has fully dried on your nine figure deal.
Lamar has faced many criticisms since entering the league. “He’s a running back.” “He can’t throw” “He can’t win in the playoffs.” Keep that same energy for Peyton Manning because for the first seven years of his career, he was throwing ducks to defenders in January while having two Hall of Famers on offense in Edgerrin James and Marvin Harrison along with another potential two HOFers in Reggie Wayne and Jeff Saturday. Keep that energy for Matt Stafford who needed two All Pro receivers and an All Pro tackle to finally win a playoff game, keep in mind Cooper Kupp went supernova in 2021, putting up one of the most impressive campaigns ever as a wide receiver. How about you keep that energy for Baker Mayfield, the guy selected 31 spots over Jackson who needed Jarvis Landry, Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt and a top 5 NFL offensive line to win his first playoff game. Let’s not forget Jackson has never had one All-Pro receiver in his entire career yet has led the league in touchdown passes. For those who criticized his playoff performances, I’m sure it was real easy for Jackson to beat the Chargers with an offense led by Alex Collins and Michael Crabtree or against Tennessee where Willie Snead and Hayden Hurst continuously dropped balls placed right in their chest. Now I am not saying Jackson is blameless but he sure does get blamed for a lot more than others. I wonder why that is?
Regardless of all that, let’s look at where the Ravens were in 2018. Ozzie Newsome was winding down his time as the Ravens GM. An executive since the franchise first took shape in the nineties, Newsome’s tenure was one of great success starting from day 1. His influence led Baltimore to select Hall of Famers Jonathan Ogden and Ray Lewis in the Ravens first ever draft. As GM, he has had 2 head coaches and with it, two super bowl titles. His partying gift was a loaded draft class in 2018 for the struggling Ravens franchise. Jackson along with Orlando Brown Jr and Mark Andrews headline an impressive class. However it looked like a new era was coming to Baltimore. Before Jackson took over as the starter due to an injury to Joe Flacco, Baltimore was 4-5. Talks of moving on from HC John Harbaugh had gained momentum, especially since his contract was set to end once the season concluded. Through the shear divine intervention of Jackson, the Ravens went 6-1 and won the division. Harbaugh was rewarded with an extension. Harbaugh who brought home Super Bowl XLIV to Baltimore, struggled in the following years. Until 2018, the Ravens only returned to the playoffs once to go with only two winning seasons out of five. Jackson saved his job and his ass. Jackson has revitalized the careers of Harbaugh, Greg Roman and created job stability for GM Eric DeCosta, yet the men he saved refuse to pay him.
Fine. You think you can win without me? Good luck. Every season for which Jackson was the main starter, they made the playoffs. The Ravens who finished the season at 8-9 faltered because Jackson missed the back end of the season due to injury. If I’m Jackson, I’m putting my feet up at home. Good luck Baltimore, see all the holes I’ve plugged for years because of your incompetence. How many games I pulled out of the fire? And once you realize it, it will be too late. Either you all will be out of jobs or I will be killing it for another team. The market for Jackson is huge with many franchises willing to spend the dough for his services. So with that I say to GM Eric DeCosta…pay the man. Don’t let foolishness cost you a career.
