Lamar Jackson Addresses Declining Ravens’ Contract Extension Offer, per Report

After the Ravens’ Week 1 victory over the Jets on Sunday, Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson was asked if he declined a contract extension offer that featured $160 million in guaranteed money. According to an earlier report from ESPN’s Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter, Jackson turned down a five-year extension offer worth over $250 million with $133 million guaranteed at signing.

When he was asked by ESPN’s Dianna Russini, Jackson confirmed that he declined an extension offer, but he said the guaranteed money figure was roughly between $160 million and $180 million. When Russini then asked Jackson if he will ride his current contract out all season, he said, “We’ll see.”

On Wednesday, Jackson told reporters that the deadline for he and Baltimore to come to terms on a contract extension was Friday. The 25-year-old superstar is in the last year of his current deal, and if he and the Ravens don’t come to an agreement by March, the team will need to place him on the franchise tag or he’ll become an unrestricted free agent. Jackson would earn $45 million under the exclusive tag. He’s set to make $23.016 million in 2022.

Per the initial ESPN report, Baltimore balked at Jackson’s wish for a deal that was fully guaranteed at signing, similar to Deshaun Watson’s fully guaranteed five-year deal worth $230 million with Cleveland.

Jackson has represented himself during negotiations. 

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