Despite being heavily linked with a huge move for Lamar Jackson, it appears as though the New England Patriots will not be in the running for the Baltimore Ravens quarterback.
That's according to The Athletic, who claim that the Patriots have no plans to sign the highly-rated 26-year-old despite claims that Jackson was interested in joining the franchise. Patriots owner Robert Kraft said recently that rapper Meek Mill informed him via text that Jackson was keen on a move, and deferred the decision onto head coach Bill Belichick.
Belichick has put his faith in Mac Jones, although he failed to rule out a world in which back-up quarterback Bailey Zappe starts for the Patriots too. Belichick recently said that the "best player will play" in all positions, but even though Jackson is seen as an upgrade to both Jones and Zappe, he's not interested.
Jackson's future has been up in the air since last year, when the quarterback rejected a five-year £208.5m ($250m) deal with the Ravens. The contract that would have seen him make a guaranteed £111m ($133m), but Jackson clearly feels as though he's worth more than what the franchise are offering.
Due to his current deal wrapping up, the Ravens tagged Jackson in March - but opted to use the non-exclusive franchise tag. The tag means that Jackson is permitted to sign an offer sheet with another team, and then the Ravens can either match their offer and either keep him or opt for a trade.
News that Jackson could be available has sparked rumours across the NFL, but so far it seems as though no teams are prepared to make a major move for the quarterback. The Ravens may well have called Jackson's bluff, but the quarterback tweeted on Monday to announce that he requested a trade back on March 2.
"A letter to my fans," his statement began, as he broke his silence about the situation on social media. "I want to first thank you all for all of the love and support you consistently show towards me.
"All of you are amazing and I appreciate y’all so much. I want you all to know not to believe everything you read about me.
"Let me personally answer your questions in regards to my future plans. As of March 2nd I requested a trade from the Ravens organization for which the Ravens has not been interested in meeting my value.
"Any and everyone that’s has met me or been around me know I love the game of football and my dream is to help a team win the Super Bowl. You all are great but I had to make a business decision that was best for my family and I."
