FINALLY: RAVENS, JACKSON HAVE A DEAL
The Baltimore Ravens agreed in principle with Lamar Jackson on a fiveyear deal Thursday, making their star quarterback the highest-paid player in NFL history.
The Ravens and Jackson agreed on a $260 million, five-year deal with $185 million in guaranteed money, a person familiar with the terms told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract hasn’t been signed.
The deal keeps the 2019 NFL MVP in Baltimore for the foreseeable future and ends a contract negotiation saga that was dominating the team’s offseason. Jackson’s contract tops the $255 million, five-year deal the Philadelphia Eagles gave Jalen Hurts earlier this month. Hurts got $179.3 million in guarantees.
Deshaun Watson still has the biggest guaranteed contract in NFL history. The Cleveland Browns gave Watson a five-year, fully-guaranteed $230 million extension last year to waive his no-trade clause and agree to join the team.
The Ravens announced the deal hours before the first round of the NFL Draft, and it’s fair to say that in Baltimore at least, this news will overshadow whoever the team might take in the first round.
After playing out his rookie contract, Jackson’s future with the Ravens was in doubt. Baltimore put the franchise tag on Jackson last month, but the Ravens kept expressing confidence that they could reach a longterm agreement with him — even after Jackson made a trade request public.
The Ravens did not disclose contract terms, but their tweet announcing the deal did include a video of Jackson talking.
“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.”
That was a reference to the term “Ravens Flock” used by the team’s fans.
“Let’s go baby. Let’s go, let’s go,” Jackson added. “Can’t wait to get there, can’t wait to be there. Can’t wait to light up M&T (Bank Stadium)
for the next five years, man. Let’s get it.”
Jackson’s deal brings one of the NFL’s biggest offseason stories to a conclusion — right as one of the league’s biggest annual events was about to start. The Ravens can now expect Jackson in the lineup for the first game of the season, without drama about whether he’ll report to camp.
They’ve already boosted his wide receiving group by signing Odell Beckham Jr. and drafting Zay Flowers from Boston College.Baltimore also has a new offensive coordinator after hiring Georgia’s Todd Monken.
Drafted in 2018, Jackson is already one of six quarterbacks in NFL history with 10,000 yards passing and 4,000 rushing. He’s been hurt at the end of the past two seasons, however. At age 26, his best days could well be ahead of him, and now he’ll remain in a Baltimore uniform.
It’s also an interesting coincidence Jackson’s new contract was announced on draft day.
Five years ago, he wasn’t one of the top players taken. Baltimore landed him with the 32nd pick, and he was the fifth quarterback taken. Of the four who went ahead of him, only Buffalo’s Josh Allen has enjoyed success comparable to Jackson. Allen signed a long-term deal with the Bills two offseasons ago.
Notable
The Jaguars believe nose tackle DaVon Hamilton’s best season is just the beginning. Hamilton signed a three-year contract extension, a clear indication how GM Trent Baalke and coach Doug Pederson feel about the third-round pick entering his fourth season. The extension is worth $34.5 million and includes $23 million guaranteed.
As the NFL conducts an informal review of Josh Harris’ tentative $6.05 billion deal to purchase the from Daniel Snyder, Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a televised interview Thursday that “progress is being made” toward a possible announcement by late May. “We’re communicating with the team,” Goodell told ESPN. “They’re working, obviously, on the transaction. That progress will hopefully lead to them being comfortable to announce some type of a transaction probably by the middle of May or late May.”