Lamar Jackson has become the NFL's highest-paid player after agreeing to a huge extension with the Baltimore Ravens, surpassing the deal signed by Philadelphia Eagles star Jalen Hurts last month.
Jackson's decision to play hardball in negotiations over the past two years has paid dividends although it is not the fully-guaranteed deal he was chasing, with the 26-year-old accepting a $260million offer, which included $185m in guarantees spread across the deal.
According to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, the Ravens' offer to Jackson in September was $50m per year, with $175m guaranteed, meaning he has eeked an extra $10m in guarantees over the course of the contract to secure his future at M&T Bank Stadium.
Although Patrick Mahomes signed the NFL's biggest contract in terms of total value, the $450m deal he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs last year is spread across an unprecedented 10 years. Therefore, Jackson's contract is the latest market-setting deal on annual average, putting him ahead of Jalen Hurts ($51m), Aaron Rodgers ($50m), Russell Wilson ($49m), Kyler Murray ($46m) and Deshaun Watson ($46m).
Jackson's deal, which came after months of uncertainty over his future in Baltimore, is music to the ears of the likes of Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence, top young quarterbacks still on their rookie deals who will soon sign big-money extensions. The contract is a massive upgrade on the non-exclusive franchise tag tender that the Ravens placed on Jackson last month when his rookie contract expired. He was due to make $32m in the 2023 season until he finally came to terms with the Ravens.
Before being tagged, Jackson requested a trade on March 2 and under the rules of the non-exclusive tag, he was allowed to negotiate with other teams, who could snap him up for two first-round picks if the Ravens declined to match any offers. Ultimately, trade interest proved to be minimal, with many franchises linked with Jackson immediately briefing reporters that they were not interested in doing business.
Jackson sitting out the year seemed a realistic possibility, but a chain of events including the signing of star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr and the Hurts deal with the Eagles have led to the quarterback and Ravens GM Eric DeCosta getting around the table and doing business.
Announcing the news on Twitter, Jackson gleefully held a Ravens-branded ball aloft.
"You know for the past few months, there has been a lot of 'He said, she said', a lot of nail-biting and head-scratching going on, but for the next five years, there is a lot of flock going on," Jackson said in a video on the Ravens' account.
"Let's go, baby! I can't wait to be there and light up M&T for the next five years man. Let's get it."
