Lamar Jackson 2023 NFL team odds: Ravens slap non-exclusive franchise tag on quarterback, Falcons may be interested
The Ravens have slapped the franchise tag on quarterback Lamar Jackson.
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Contract negotiations between the Baltimore Ravens and quarterback Lamar Jackson have been stuck for months because the former league MVP believes he deserves more guaranteed money than the Browns gave Deshaun Watson ($230 million) and also because Jackson is serving as his own agent. It's no surprise, then, that the Ravens placed the franchise tag on Jackson ahead of this afternoon's deadline to do so.
However, it's not the exclusive franchise tag, under which Jackson would be assured of playing next year for Baltimore unless he chose to sit out the season or the team traded him. He was given the non-exclusive franchise tag, which means any team in the NFL can negotiate a long-term deal with the former Heisman winner, but the Ravens can match the offer. If Baltimore decided not to match, it would receive two first-round picks from the signing team.
The exclusive franchise tag would have come with a 2023 salary of around $45 million. The non-exclusive version has a salary of $32.4 million, so Jackson likely is quite unhappy today and could force the issue. The Ravens are 45-16 with Jackson as the starter since 2018 and 8-13 without him.
"Having not yet reached a long-term deal with Lamar Jackson, we will use the franchise tag," Ravens General Manager Eric DeCosta stated. "There have been many instances across the league and in Baltimore when a player has been designated with the franchise tag and signed a long-term deal that same year. We will continue to negotiate in good faith with Lamar, and we are hopeful that we can strike a long-term deal that is fair to both Lamar and the Ravens."
The Ravens now have until July 17 to work out a long-term extension with Jackson. There had been multiple reports that trade talks between the Ravens and Falcons had "heated up" regarding Jackson during the combine, but ESPN's Diana Russini tweeted that the Falcons will not be pursuing Jackson. We'll see. Atlanta would seem to be a natural fit for Jackson and has the relatively unproven Desmond Ridder penciled in at QB, so the situation could evolve.
If a team got Jackson for only two first-round picks, that would be a steal. Cleveland gave up three first-round picks, a third-rounder and a fourth-rounder to Houston in the Watson trade, and Jackson is a much better player. He's currently +2000 at Caesars to win MVP next season.
Injuries have been a concern of late as Jackson has been limited to 12 games each of the past two seasons, so one could understand why the Ravens would balk at giving him $250 million guaranteed.
Via SportsLine oddsmakers: If not the Ravens, which team will Lamar Jackson be playing for in 2023?
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