Lamar Jackson Embraces Ravens Newness And Sidesteps Contract Inquiries In First Public Comments Of 2026

Lamar Jackson stood in front of microphones Wednesday afternoon off to the side of a practice field and took questions for the first time in what felt like more than just a few months. It was a stark reminder of just how much has changed for the Baltimore Ravens since January, and how much work there is still to do on field and off.

Since Jackson had last met with the media, John Harbaugh, the only head coach he’d ever known, had been fired along with the offensive coordinator who helped Jackson reach new heights and a second MVP (Todd Monken). A rookie head coach, Jesse Minter, had been hired, along with a 30-year old novice offensive coordinator (Declan Doyle), and a core of veteran offensive players departed as free agents and the Ravens were unable to meet their owners stated objective of getting a new contract done with the quarterback before the start of the league year in March.

On this afternoon in late May, following his first glorified seven-on-seven practices with the rookie class taking part, Jackson would finally address some that upheaval and uncertainty after not taking part in last week’s start of Organized Team Activities, another example of how different and, in many ways, detached this 2026 Ravens edition is from last year’s or any of recent vintage.

Of course, Jackson being a year behind his peers on a contract extension is nothing new whatsoever for these sides, and him fielding contract questions and inquires about participation in voluntary sessions has been going on since his third year in the league. But hearing Jackson comment on just how much has changed since the Ravens tried to grapple with a season-ending loss in Pittsburgh in Week 18 was a startling reminder of these very different times we’re in for a franchise that has championed cohesion and consistency.

“It’s different, new,” Jackson said upon his return to the field. “I feel like everything is new right now. But it’s cool. The atmosphere is smooth. Just looking forward to the season now.”

Contract Concerns

Jackson’s expiring contract – his prohibitive 2027 cap total makes 2026 essentially a lame-duck year – was a subject he predictably danced around like an oncoming pass rusher. General manager Eric DeCosta has declined to comment on the matter - but this has not been a smooth process, again – and Jackson chose his words quite cautiously, too.

“I was thinking about how I was going to respond to this question if I got it,” Jackson said, “ … I just want to keep those conversations private. We restructured the deal, and that’s what we have right now. That’s all.”

Of course, the probing persisted – as it must given the gravity of this situation and the fact that Jackson has requested a trade in the past. He continued to default to the reworking of his deal: “We just going to go from there.”

When asked if he sees himself staying in Baltimore, Jackson said: “Absolutely, I love the Ravens, I love this organization, I love the city. This is the team that drafted me, and got a lot of love for me, I believe … I love Baltimore.”

Numerous NFL general managers, contract negotiators and agents believe that Jackson will turn down anything less than the fully-guaranteed, five year structure he was seeking during his last negotiation. Some of those details were revealed through documents that became public from the NFLPA’s grievance hearing against the NFL for alleged collusion.

As to that, Jackson said: “We gonna leave that contract in 2022.”

The situation is far from ideal (the Bills aren't playing word games with Josh Allen, for instance), hence how guarded he and the team are being. But Jackson has proven to be a patient and adroit negotiator (he does his own deals without a formal agent), and the protracted nature of this process says far more about the situation than either side would ever allow publicly.

DeCosta was profusive in his relief and joy at finally getting the last deal done; that was more revelatory than anything that will be uttered in these settings.

Back On The Field

Minter has gone to lengths to talk about how much he is communicating with Jackson behind the scenes and what his presence in the team facility has meant to the team and staff this offseason. It is a little different, however, starting to put talk into action out on the practice field, even in such a limited, no-contact setting as OTAs.

Of course, they would love to have had Jackson here for every voluntary session and the sight of Jackson back in a jersey was as big a deal as you can have on the field this time of year. Knowing the new plays is one thing, and executing them is another (even if it’s sterile in OTAs).

“It’s the first time to really be able to run them at speed with the defense out there,” Minter said. “So every play is a great advantage for him to keep getting better and keep learning … Great to see him out there making the plays that we know he can make.”

Jackson, who has foregone $750,000 offseason bonus in the past to tend to other matters during OTAS, pointed to the new system – “I had to get the terminology down” – as one critical reason to be here. He is virtually the same age as Doyle, and forging a bond with the novice OC is also imperative.

“His title’s coach,” Jackson said of their similarity in age, “so I’m gonna still call him coach. But it’s cool man.”

And, obviously, it’s a massive departure from any dynamic he’s dealt with before, as are many things concerning this upcoming season. It's just hardly the biggest one of all; it's not the pivot that will determine how long the franchise quarterback is truly bound to the city he loves. That remains undetermined.

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