Commanders Won't Trade For 'Tremendous' Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, Says Ron Rivera
Count the Washington Commanders among the teams who are out on Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
At the NFL owners meetings in Phoenix on Tuesday, Commanders head coach Ron Rivera said that they never looked into potentially acquiring the star dual-threat quarterback.
“It was just something that we just didn’t feel suited to what we wanted to do,“ Rivera said. “I know he’s a tremendous talent. I know he’s a player that can impact your team. We sat down and talked about it, that wasn’t the direction for us as a football team.”
Jackson requested a trade from the Ravens on Mar. 2 and got the non-exclusive franchise tag on Mar. 7. With the non-exclusive franchise tag, a team would have to give up two first-round picks to acquire Jackson, then likely give him a record-breaking contract.
Jackson is 45-16 in his career and was a unanimous MVP in 2019. Jackson has missed 10 games over the last two seasons due to lower-body injuries.
Washington general manager Martin Mayhew spoke on Monday and echoed the same sentiments as Rivera and further doubled down on the team sticking with Sam Howell and Jacoby Brissett.
“There are a ton of talented players that could help us, but we don’t end up talking to them for various reasons,“ Mayhew said. “Lamar falls into that category.”
Howell, who was taken in the fifth round of the 2022 draft, is the odds-on favorite to start under center for Washington in 2023. He made one start and completed 11 of 19 passes for 169 yards, one touchdown and one interception in a 26-6 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Jan. 8.
Rivera also said that he’s seen a lot of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy in Howell. Purdy was 7-1 as a starter with the lone loss coming in the NFC Championship game to the Philadelphia Eagles.
“I don’t think this is as much a wild shot as people think it is,” Rivera said. “Part of it is because you watch a man like Brock Purdy have the season that he had last year and you would like to think we have a guy who has the same type of ability and skillset.”
But the team wanted insurance, so it signed Brissett was signed to a one-year deal on Mar. 16. He started 11 games for the Browns in 2022, throwing 12 touchdowns and six interceptions.
Rolling with an unproven starter in Howell along with a good backup in Brissett is a risky proposition for a regime that’s on shaky ground at best. With the impetus to win and new ownership right around the corner, a move for Jackson might be exactly what Rivera and Mayhew need to save their jobs beyond the 2023 season.
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