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After failing to come to terms with quarterback Lamar Jackson on a new deal, the Baltimore Ravens used their non-exclusive franchise tag on him in order to keep him in the fold for at least one more season.
That non-exclusive tag will allow Jackson to openly negotiate a deal with a team of his choice, and if a deal is agreed to, the Ravens could either match it to keep him or let him go and receive two first-round draft picks as compensation.
But so far, there has been little to no interest in him elsewhere in the NFL, and five teams were instantly identified as having absolutely no interest.
Analyst Warren Sharp noted that all five of those teams have had no more than one double-digit win season since 2018.
the 5 teams fastest to be “out” on Lamar Jackson all have a “0” or “1” next to their name
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) March 8, 2023
Jackson was named league MVP in 2019, and he has been one of the game’s best dual-threat QBs ever since.
However, he has reportedly been demanding a new contract that would be fully guaranteed and pay him around $50 million a year, which would be a steep price to pay for someone whose production has declined since his MVP campaign.
Teams that reportedly will *not* be pursuing a deal for Lamar Jackson include:
Falcons
Dolphins
Panthers
Commanders
Raiders
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 7, 2023
There is also the issue of durability when it comes to Jackson.
He missed the last five games of the 2022 season, as well as Baltimore’s playoff game, with a sprained PCL, and an ankle injury kept him out of five games the prior year.
But at age 26, Jackson could give a franchise a decade of solid play if he manages to remain healthy from here on out.
The post NFL Analyst Notes An Issue With Teams Openly Avoiding Lamar Jackson appeared first on The Cold Wire.
