Lamar Jackson finally put to rest any and all speculation about his immediate future Thursday evening.
Jackson, who requested a trade from the Ravens in early March as he was in search of a long-term contract, finally got exactly what he wanted as he agreed to terms to a massive five-year extension with the Ravens. CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reported the deal is worth $260 million with $185 million of it being guaranteed.
All those zeros and having the long-term security surely brought plenty of joy to Jackson, who shared a message on social media to go along with the announcement of the extension.
“You know for the last few months there’s been a lot of he say, she say. A lot of nail-biting, a lot of head-scratching going on,” Jackson said in a video posted by the Ravens. “But for the next five years, there’s a lot of flock going on. Let’s go baby. Let’s go. Let’s go, man. Can’t wait to get there, can’t wait to be there, can’t wait to light up M&T (Bank Stadium) for the next five years, man. Let’s get it.”
The 2022 season, and the ensuing offseason, was turbulent for the 26-year-old Jackson. He missed the final five games of the regular season due to a knee injury and didn’t travel with Baltimore for its road playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals with talks about his contract lingering over head.
The Ravens ended up placing the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson, giving the 2019 NFL MVP the freedom to strike an agreement with another team. But that never came due to Jackson’s exorbitant price tag and a team having to give up two first-round draft picks to sign him.
After months of seemingly being at an impasse, the Ravens and Jackson found common ground on the day of the 2023 NFL Draft. Jackson will make $52 million a year, giving him the highest yearly salary in NFL history, according to ESPN Stats and Info.
That type of contract for Jackson certainly gives him more than enough reasons to have a smile on his face for the time being.
