The Browns Potentially Changed the Future Course of Ravens, Lamar Jackson

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Browns' deal with Deshaun Watson could have forever altered the future contracts of NFL quarterbacks and has wreaked havoc with the Ravens' negotiations with Lamar Jackson.

That was a palpable benefit of Watson's astronomical deal.

Watson signed a five-year, $230 million contract with the Browns, including a $44.97 million signing bonus, $230 million guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $46 million.

This past year, Watson earned a base salary of $402,500 and a signing bonus of $44.97 million, while carrying a cap hit of $9.4 million and a dead cap value of $229.4 million, according to spotrac.com.

Jackson reportedly wants an even larger deal with more guaranteed money, which has jeopardized his future in Baltimore.

"It's like, 'Damn, I wish they hadn't guaranteed the whole contract. I don't know that he should've been the first guy to get a fully guaranteed contract," Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said about Watson's deal. "To me, that's something that is groundbreaking, and it'll make negotiations harder with others."

The Browns will likely try to renegotiate their deal with Watson, who can balk at the request because he has a no-trade clause. Cleveland could offer him more upfront money, but there is no cash relief.

That's why it's such a challenging deal for the rest of the league.

The Ravens will likely place the exclusive franchise tag on Jackson in the offseason that will pay him around $45 million in 2023.

Jackson could be looking for a deal of around $50 million per season, but the hang-up appears to be the guaranteed money.

The Ravens reportedly offered a deal prior to the season that would have made Jackson the second-highest-paid player in the NFL, with guaranteed money second to Watson's $230 million payday.

Jackson reportedly declined the offer.

Ideally, the Ravens and Jackson can iron out a new deal.

But after months of negotiations that were shut down when the 2022 season started, the sides don't appear to be close.

“Without a QB you believe in, life sucks as an NFL owner and as a fan base,” Bisciott said. “We appreciate him. All I know is that his teammates love him. The front office loves him. So it’s like, you just keep doing you, Lamar, and we’ll make it work.”

The @Ravens are 3-1 since quarterback Lamar Jackson suffered a knee injury against the Denver Broncos in Week 13.
But they need him to be healthy for any type of playoff run.#RavensFlock https://t.co/fvLiFwIOkV
— Todd Karpovich (@toddkarpovich) December 26, 2022

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