Lamar Holds Ravens Hostage

Lost in the massive news that the Ravens rescinded their trade offer for Maxx Crosby, buried beneath the relentless trolling of the Ravens and their fans on social media and the narrow-minded takes from pretend national sports journalists, is the fact that the Ravens and Lamar Jackson failed to execute a contract extension.

Back in 2023 the Ravens gave Lamar everything he wanted, save a 100% guaranteed deal, and it still took an extra year and a franchise tag to get it done. In the 2023 contract, Lamar and his handlers demanded language that would preclude the Ravens from using the franchise tag in the future. The deal also included a bloated cap figure for 2026 that was so usurious it would force the two sides back to the bargaining table to reset the deal, presumably to make Lamar the game’s highest paid player of all time.

So what happened? After many, many months of discussions, why isn’t the deal done?

Two words.

Lamar. Jackson.

The Ravens wanted cap space to have the money to patch up the team’s roster deficiencies before the 2026 NFL Draft that commences on April 23rd. That way, the Ravens could without hesitation, stick to their draft day credo, “pick the best player available”. The extension would provide prerequisite spending money.

Alas, the only thing that the Ravens could get done was a restructure to create the needed cap space to execute the offseason plan – a restructure that did not require Lamar’s consent. A restructure that makes an extension, if there ever is one, a bit more cumbersome.

The Lamar huggers that exist in RavensFlock will undoubtedly push back on this – and they represent quite an army. But their undeniable and undying devotion to No. 8 even when his faults slap them in the face, serve as insurmountable blinders that logic cannot penetrate. But the signs are all there. He wants things done on his terms even at the expense of the team. We are often told that Lamar is a good guy and isn’t selfish. I’m not so sure about the latter.

GM Eric DeCosta is committed to getting this extension done. If not, he might have to be committed for mental health recovery. This has gone on far too long. Josh Allen’s most recent extension took far less time with far fewer reaches for the extra strength Excedrin. And it should behoove the Ravens to stock up on more.

Maybe an extension gets done. Maybe it doesn’t. Maybe Lamar will show up for OTAs to immerse himself in the new playbook and develop a rapport with a new coaching staff. Maybe he’ll stay in Florida and ride jet skis and chuck the ball around on a local high school field.

Your guess is as good as mine, but the optics aren’t good.

With Lamar Jackson and contract talks, they never have been.

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