BALTIMORE — The start of NFL free agency on Wednesday saw its share of frenzied activity — quarterback Aaron Rodgers announcing his “intention” to play for the New York Jets led the way — but there was one notable exception.
The only news on Lamar Jackson was that there was no news. Unless you count the Ravens quarterback dancing around in some large red boots in a video he posted to Instagram and teammate Marlon Humphrey saying on Twitter that none of his own tweets about Baltimore’s signings or other free agency moves had anything to do with Jackson.
“He is his own agent and he definitely not telling me anything cause he know I’ll tweet it,” Humphrey wrote.
While Ravens backup quarterback Tyler Huntley’s future became a little more clear when he was given a right-of-first-refusal tender by Baltimore on Wednesday, only continued speculation remains over Jackson’s negotiations with the Ravens or other teams. Still, moves by other organizations (like the Jets) helped provide some clarity on where Jackson could end up other than Baltimore.
Here are Jackson’s possible destinations, by tiers:
Likely out of the running
— Washington Commanders: After the Commanders released Carson Wentz last month and Tyler Heinicke signed with the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday, some wondered whether owner Dan Snyder was perhaps interested in making a run at Jackson. But Washington on Wednesday signed Jacoby Brissett to a one-year deal worth up to $10 million with $8 million guaranteed, according to ESPN. That gives them a veteran presence to go with Sam Howell, a rookie last season, and former Georgia starter Jake Fromm. Coach Ron Rivera also told NFL Network earlier this week “there is no push” to bid for Jackson.
— Carolina Panthers: Likewise, Charlotte once seemed like a potential landing spot. But the Panthers on Tuesday signed veteran Andy Dalton to a two-year, $10 million deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Panthers also own the No. 1 overall pick in this April’s NFL draft after the Chicago Bears traded out of the top spot in a blockbuster deal with Carolina last week and are in line to draft a quarterback.
— San Francisco 49ers: While an enticing scenario for a team that reached last season’s NFC championship game, the 49ers’ biggest problem is that they are without a first-round pick in 2023 after trading up to select quarterback Trey Lance third overall in 2021. The Ravens could always work out a sign-and-trade that doesn’t include the two first-round picks they’re guaranteed if Jackson signs an offer sheet and they don’t match it. But San Francisco doesn’t even have a second-round pick this year (their first pick isn’t until No. 100). Plus, there are salary cap issues for the 49ers.
— Las Vegas Raiders: Jimmy Garoppolo. Three years, $72.75 million. That’s all the explanation needed.
— Houston Texans: Houston owns the second and 12th overall picks in this year’s draft, which puts it in position to draft a rookie quarterback rather than deal for Jackson. The Texans also have just over $10 million in cap space.
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tom Brady retired for good, leaving only Kyle Trask and Blaine Gabbert as the Buccaneers’ quarterbacks. On Wednesday, they added Baker Mayfield on a one-year deal, according to multiple reports. None of those three screams franchise quarterback. The problem? Tampa Bay is cap poor with just over $2.3 million in space, the fourth lowest amount in the NFL, per Over The Cap.
Wild cards
— Miami Dolphins: Though Jackson grew up just 30 minutes north of Hard Rock Stadium and still maintains ties to South Florida, Miami is one of a handful of teams that has said it won’t be pursuing him. They, too, do not have a first-round pick this year. Coach Mike McDaniel also believes current Dolphins starter Tua Tagovailoa “is the perfect fit” for his system, according to ESPN’s Jeff Darlington.
— New England Patriots: The Patriots are also among the teams on the list who have said they do not plan to go after Jackson, per MassLive. While he would be an enormous upgrade over current starter Mac Jones, New England has more pressing issues, particularly on its offensive line.
— Tennessee Titans: Offensive line issues are a problem in Tennessee, too, along with the team being in something of a rebuild. A lack of receivers could also leave Jackson uninterested. Plus, new general manager Ran Carthon has publicly supported incumbent Ryan Tannehill. And even if the Titans were interested, it’s hard to imagine the Ravens wouldn’t match the offer sheet of a conference rival.
— Detroit Lions: The Lions have the cap space (just shy of $22 million, per Over The Cap), picks (two in the first round this year) and a player in wide receiver Jameson Williams who liked a tweet suggesting Detroit should bring Jackson to the Motor City. They also had the league’s fifth-best offense, according to Football Outsiders’ DVOA, with veteran Jared Goff at the helm. “We’re happy with Jared,” Lions general manager Brad Holmes said at the scouting combine. “He’s our starter, but we need to add some pieces in that room overall.”
Best chance to strike
— Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons entered free agency with more than $62 million in cap space, the second most in the NFL. After a bevy of moves, they still have more than $38 million, according to Over The Cap. But among those moves was signing Heinicke, who now joins 2022 third-round pick Desmond Ridder in the quarterback room. Atlanta was also one of the teams reportedly not interested in pursuing Jackson soon after he was tagged by the Ravens. Still, they have the resources to do so if they chose.
— Indianapolis Colts: That brings us to the best team to potentially land Jackson. The Colts released quarterback Matt Ryan and agreed to trade cornerback Stephon Gilmore on Tuesday to the Dallas Cowboys, creating extra cap space (they currently have more than $25 million). They have not had a franchise-caliber quarterback since Andrew Luck announced his sudden retirement in 2019, relying on one-year stopgaps such as Brissett, Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz and Ryan. Indianapolis also owns the No. 4 pick in this year’s draft, which it could use for a quarterback — if it believes one of the top four is worthy of leading the franchise. But the city that once swiped Baltimore’s NFL team in the middle of the night is now the team best situated to steal its superstar quarterback and 2019 NFL Most Valuable Player.
