Ravens Shouldn't Entertain Any Trade Offers For Lamar Jackson

What makes the Baltimore Ravens head coach and offensive coordinator vacancies the most desirable destination is not just the vaunted institutional stability between ownership and the front office. It is the fact that whoever ultimately gets hired to fill those roles will get the opportunity to work with the most uniquely gifted dual-threat quarterback to ever grace the gridiron in Lamar Jackson.

Having a two-time league MVP, who was robbed of a third, under center in his physical prime and getting mentally sharper with each year of experience he gains, is the most valuable asset in all of professional sports. There's no haul of high-round draft picks and elite non-quarterback premium position players that a middling or even upper-echelon team could offer the Ravens that would make them consider fielding any trade offers for the three-time First Team All Pro.

Yet, seemingly every offseason, Jackson's name is floated in rumors as a potential trade target for teams seeking a solution or upgrade at the position. This nonsensical speculation, of course, gets aggregated for clickbait cannon fodder and is proliferated to the masses via social media, sports talk shows, podcasts and other outlets thirsty for engagement.

Despite Jackson being under contract for multiple years, having a no trade clause in his current deal that he'd have waive in order to make any sort of movement possible and owner Steve Bisciotti himself coming out publicly to express his desire for a long-term commitment in his first press conference in nearly a decade, the Mike Florio's of the national media can't help themselves.

The former lawyer turned content creator stirred up a lot of buzz with his latest fantastical rumor that the Las Vegas Raiders could "make a play" to acquire Jackson. He cited the reported possible discontent between the Ravens and their star quarterback, as well as the outspoken affinity Jackson and Raiders minority owner Tom Brady have for each other.

These notions are nothing more than fan fiction for Raiders fans and engagement farming by Florio. Even a king's ransom package that would consist of multiple first-round picks, including the No. 1 overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, coupled with one or both of defensive end Maxx Crosby and tight end Brock Bowers, would not be enough to entice the Ravens to move Jackson if he were to waive his no-trade clause.

As impressive as Heisman-winner Fernando Mendoza looked leading the University of Indiana to its first national title in program history this year, the Ravens already have a Heisman trophy-winner who is a proven commodity and already a first-ballot Hall of Famer in Jackson. He is still under 30, having just turned 29 years old earlier this month, and continues to find ways improve each year when he's healthy, which, contrary to Florio's insinuation, is more often than not.

Having Jackson isn't just the best aphrodisiac for prospective coaches looking to lead the Ravens' offense or team as a whole, but to other players around the league as well once free agency rolls around. Every offseason, when a new addition comes aboard on either side of the ball, but especially on offense, the most excited aspect of coming to Baltimore that they cite is getting to play alongside Jackson after having admired his play as spectators and opponents previously. Getting rid of him would mean willingly parting ways with their biggest attraction and best bargaining chip in negotiations with coaches and players alike.

AFC looks wide open for years to come

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott shake hands following the game. — Dec 8, 2019; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott shake hands following the game at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

If the 2025 season has taught the Ravens and the rest of the league anything, it is that parity is very real and that supremacy in their conference, in particular, is up for grabs for the foreseeable future. There have already been several major shakeups at the helm of perennial playoff contenders, in addition to Baltimore, such as the Pittsburgh Steelers and, most recently, the Buffalo Bills.

This is not the time rebuild, which is what trading away a franchise quarterback with the hopes of landing another right away would be doing. Now is the time to retool and reload the roster and refresh the culture with a new head coach that will hopefully energize and lead the Ravens into their next championship window.

After being preseason odds-on favorites to make it to the Super Bowl heading into this season, only to fall short of making the playoffs entirely, both the team and Jackson should be fiercely determined to prove that the best is yet to come in terms of living up to and exceeding lofty expectations moving forward. Extending him and getting those cap hits of $74 million in each of the next two years down would go a long way toward retaining key pending free agents and bringing in more talent.

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