After receiving the non-exclusive franchise tag from the Ravens last week, Lamar Jackson took to social media on Tuesday to give his perspective on the ongoing negotiations regarding a long-term contract extension and some of the reporting on the subject.
Jackson, who stands to make $32.416 million guaranteed if he plays on the franchise tag in 2023, took to Twitter to dispute a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter on a recent episode of The Adam Schefter Podcast that Baltimore’s front office offered him $200 million guaranteed in a proposed deal last September. The former MVP quickly responded to the report with a GIF that seemed to make his thoughts on the matter crystal clear.
Jackson, however, didn’t stop there. He continued tweeting, beginning with a follow-up that read “133/3 years guaranteed... but I need a agent?” implying that an offer he’d received was significantly lower than the amount Schefter had reported. Jackson did not explicitly state that the offer was from the Ravens.
Schefter’s full answer on the podcast did make clear that Jackson was “offered $133 million due at signing” from the Ravens. However, the ESPN insider then shared that with injury guarantees and a “springing guarantee,” the total value of the contract could’ve gone up to $200 million.
While it’s unclear if Jackson agreed with that detailed breakdown of the offer, he had one last apparent message for those who have reported on his negotiations over the last few months.
ESPN previously reported that the Ravens offered Jackson a five-year, $250 million contract with $133 million guaranteed last September, but Jeremy Fowler reported in February that all of quarterback’s counter-offers sought a fully guaranteed contract that was larger than the record-breaking deal Deshaun Watson signed with the Browns in March 2022. Watson signed with Cleveland for five years on a deal worth $230 million guaranteed—the most guaranteed money on a contract in NFL history.
The Ravens and Jackson are still able to negotiate a long-term deal after Baltimore placed the franchise tag on the 26-year-old, but Jackson is also permitted to negotiate with other teams and even sign an offer sheet with another franchise. At that point, Baltimore could then decide if they wanted to keep the former first-round pick or trade him.
