Oct 9, 2022; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) high fives fans before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
NFL: Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens
(New York, NY) — The Lamar Jackson contract saga has finally concluded.
The two sides have agreed in principle on a five-year extension, the team announced on Thursday.
Jackson’s deal is worth $260 million over five years with $185 million guaranteed, according to CBS Sports insider Josina Anderson. This makes Jackson the league’s highest-paid player with an average annual salary of $52 million.
The news comes a month after Jackson had requested a trade after the parties could not come to terms on a new contract
The Ravens tweeted a video of Jackson confirming the news himself.
“For the last few months, there’s been a lot of he said, she said. A lot of nail biting, a lot of head scratching going on,” Jackson said. “But for the next five years, it’s a lot of Flock going on. Let’s go, baby. Let’s go. Let’s go, man. Can’t wait to get there, can’t wait to be there. Can’t wait to light up M&T for the next five years, man. Let’s get it.”
The 2019 MVP has experienced regression and back-to-back injury-plagued seasons, but his dual-threat game-breaking ability remains amongst the game’s most dangerous weapons. The Ravens also moved on from OC Greg Roman, and appear poised to open up Jackson’s passing abilities.
Jackson, still just 26, was the unanimous MVP award in 2019, and has a 45-16 record as a starter for the Ravens. He holds several Ravens records as well as the NFL record for the most rushing yards in a season by a quarterback in with 1,206.
Just hours ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Ravens can now focus on adding pieces around Jackson to get Baltimore back to a Super Bowl.
