Once the hottest Quarterback in NFL, will Lamar Jackson end up having no team to play for this year?
The Lamar Jackson trade is the subject of much discussion in the NFL world. The Baltimore Ravens utilized the non-exclusive franchise tag, which permits other teams to make trade offers. However, teams that are in desperate need of a quarterback or a quarterback upgrade, have publicly declared that they have no interest in acquiring Lamar Jackson.
In 2019, Jackson was awarded the Most Valuable Player title, having won the Heisman Trophy back in 2016. He is also a two-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro, as well as the NFL’s touchdown leader in 2019. With a record of 49-21 as a starting quarterback, Jackson is widely considered the most dangerous dual-threat quarterback in the league. Since becoming a starter in 2018, he has thrown for 101 touchdowns and 38 interceptions, in addition to scoring 24 rushing touchdowns.
Seriously, with those impressive stats, it’s hard to believe that no other teams are going after Lamar Jackson. But for some reason, the other 31 NFL teams aren’t even considering trading for him.
Here are 3 reasons why no team is showing any interest in a Lamar Jackson Trade
Lamar Jackson’s way of playing is injury prone.
Lamar Jackson is a highly skilled dual-threat quarterback whose playing style is characterized by his ability to punish defenses with his legs and passing. However, playing in this way exposes him to additional hits and injuries, which can make his playing style unsustainable in the long run. Despite being healthy from 2018-2020, Jackson suffered a number of injuries in 2021 and 2022 that prevented him from playing, including an ankle sprain and a knee PCL sprain.
Rumors also circulated that Jackson may have chosen not to play in the Ravens Wild Card game in 2022 due to upcoming contract negotiations. Some have suggested that Jackson’s injuries, coupled with missed games, may have led other teams to label him as injury-prone, making them hesitant to trade for him. Despite this, no other teams have come forward to express interest in acquiring Jackson, leaving his future in Baltimore uncertain.
He is demanding way too much money.
Lamar Jackson reportedly wants a contract that includes $230 million or more guaranteed over a multi-year deal, which is comparable to Deshaun Watson’s fully guaranteed contract for $230 million. However, Jackson has stated that he is not seeking a fully guaranteed contract. Jackson’s statistics are comparable to Watson’s and his win/loss record is far better. Watson had a litany of off-field issues during the time he signed his record-breaking contract, while Jackson has no off-field issues.
The allegation is that the remaining 31 owners in the National Football League have coordinated a joint effort not to offer any more guaranteed contracts to players/quarterbacks after the Watson fiasco. However, the reality is that the salary cap, the precedent, and the necessity to pay other players make a huge guaranteed contract unreasonable. Even if Jackson has made it public that he wants a guaranteed sum, it would not make sense for them to even have a conversation, especially if they already know it’s beyond a certain amount that they (the owners) are comfortable with.
The Ravens reportedly offered Jackson a contract worth up to $133 million guaranteed, which appears to be too rich for even the billionaire owners within the NFL. This is another reason why Jackson is not being pursued by anyone other than the Ravens.
Lamar Jackson has no Agent.
Lamar Jackson has been without an agent since he entered the NFL in 2018, and according to Sports Illustrated, it has hurt him throughout his career. During the draft process, Jackson slid to No. 32, potentially losing millions in earnings, as agents of other quarterbacks may have been bad-mouthing him to get their own clients drafted higher. Additionally, NFL front offices prefer to negotiate with agents, which could lead to a strained relationship between the team and the player if the player is present for negotiations.
Despite these potential drawbacks, Jackson has yet to hire an agent, and his overly ambitious contract demands may also be dissuading other teams from pursuing him. In the world of Professional sports, it cannot be said enough how important an agent is to a player. Without an agent, Jackson is missing out on an important advocate who can represent his interests and help him navigate contract negotiations.
Career earnings:
Josh Allen $85M
Lamar Jackson $33MThey are in same draft class. 😳
Last two years since eligible for new deal:
Josh Allen $67M
Lamar Jackson $25MHe's never making up that difference.
It's just sad. It really is.
— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) March 28, 2023
The way Lamar has handled his relations with the Ravens in recent months has not helped his case either. He publicly bad-mouthed the team and there’s a clear fracture in relations there. So with no team going after Jackson, is he going to end up staying with the Baltimore Ravens? After all this drama, will Ravens field him at all? Things, certainly, don’t seem as rosy as Jackson had imagined when he asked to be released.
