Lamar Jackson made his trade request public Monday, and it seems there is at least one AFC team with real interest in the Baltimore Ravens quarterback.
Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard didn’t shy away from sharing his feelings about Jackson while speaking with reporters at the 2023 NFL Owners Meetings in Phoenix.
“Anytime a special player is available, which he is, you gotta do the work,” Ballard told reporters, per ESPN’s Stephen Holder. “I’m not gonna get into deep discussions on where it’s at, what we’re doing or what we might do. But what I’ll tell you is he’s a really good player, really special player. But you never know how any of this will work out.”
Ballard added: “But I think anytime at that position we have a chance to acquire a guy, you’ve got (to) do your work on it to see if it’s doable. Sometimes it is, sometimes it’s not.”
The Ravens used their non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson earlier this offseason. It means Jackson is allowed to have conversations with other teams, and if another team signs Jackson to an offer sheet, Baltimore has the right to match it. If not, the Ravens would acquired two first-rounders from Jackson’s new team.
One aspect that might complicate the Colts’ decision, however, is the fact they currently hold the fourth pick in April’s NFL draft. Indianapolis, which has struggled to find consistency at the quarterback position for much of the last decade, might have the opportunity to draft a signal-caller No. 4 overall rather than trade for a more expensive one.
It’s worth noting how Patriots owner Robert Kraft was told recently how Jackson wanted to play for New England — and countless fans seemingly want the same.
