Quarterback Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens. /CFP
Quarterback (QB) Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens confirmed on Saturday that he will stop the contract extension negotiations with the team when the 2022 NFL regular season begins.
"We're coming up to it. It's coming up. The season's coming up. We're going to be good for the season," Jackson answered when asked if there is a deadline to the extension talks between him and the Ravens.
As one of the few players in the NFL who are their own agents, Jackson negotiated everything with the Ravens by himself. That's probably why he doesn't want to be distracted by contract discussions when the regular season begins. Plus, giving a deadline is also a way of bringing pressure to the team.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens runs with the ball in the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, December 5, 2021. /CFP
Jackson completed 852 of 1,329 passing attempts for 9,967 yards and 84 touchdowns with 31 interceptions in four seasons since he was drafted by the Ravens with the 32nd pick in 2018. He a two-time Pro-Bowler, selected into the First-Team All-Pro in 2019 and named the unanimous NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) in that year.
The Ravens made the playoffs for three straight seasons from 2018 to 2020 but only won one game in 2020. They missed the playoffs last season too as Jackson only played 12 games due to ankle injury.
Jackson, 25, is considered as one of the best running QBs in today's league. He will earn about $23 million for the 2022 season and become an unrestricted free agent in 2023, unless the Ravens put a franchise tag on him before March 7, 2023.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens passes in the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, December 5, 2021. /CFP
Josh Allen, who was also drafted in 2018, already signed a six-year, $258 million extension with the Buffalo Bills in 2021. Kyler Murray, who entered the league in 2019, inked a five-year, $230 million deal with the Arizona Cardinals in July.
"I'm very confident that it will get done when it gets done," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said. "You can't really rush it. I don't think either side wants to rush anything; both sides want to be happy when it's all said and done, and probably both sides unhappy when it's all said and done, to some degree, right? That's kind of how it works. But he's doing a great job. He's practicing well. He's a great leader; on the sideline, he's right into the game. So, everything, thumbs up."
The Ravens will begin the 2022 regular season against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on September 11. They have about a month to negotiate an extension with Jackson.