Ravens, Jackson agree to 5-year, $260 million deal
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Five years after he fell to the end of the first round, draft day was a huge payday for Lamar Jackson.
The Baltimore Ravens agreed in principle with Jackson on a five-year 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 hadn’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.
“Sometimes you just need time. These things develop,” general manager Eric DeCosta said. “Sometimes these things can happen in two weeks, and sometimes it takes two years.”
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. Then they took Boston College receiver Zay Flowers with the No. 22 pick, giving Jackson another playmaker with a lot of potential.
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 keep him — even after Jackson made a trade request public.
The team’s tweet announcing the deal included 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, who was negotiating without an agent, 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.