The Baltimore Ravens and outside linebacker Matthew Judon saw the franchise-tag deadline come and go without inking a deal. With a deal not done in time, Judon is locked in to play the 2020 season under the one-year franchise tag amount of $16.8 million. But what does this now mean for the team and their top pass rusher moving forward?
In such a tumultuous offseason where the coronavirus pandemic has made the simplest of deals a headache, we’re in uncharted territory. Baltimore and Judon are certainly not alone right now, with 11 other franchise-tagged players sitting in the same position, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Though the lack of a deal by the deadline doesn’t necessarily mean an extension won’t still happen this year, it does bring about more question marks than answers at a time when there’s so much uncertainty in sports and the NFL in specific.
Judon, in a video call with reporters back in June, said he’s “happy to be a Raven,” while he also acknowledged the business side of the sport and what Baltimore needs to juggle in regards to big contracts. But as the clock ticked passed the 4:00 p.m. deadline, Judon took to Twitter and Instagram, posting a “Spongebob” meme and a video of him blowing raspberries at the camera and to his child.
— Matthew Judon (@man_dammn) July 15, 2020
However, the missed deadline doesn’t necessarily mean doom and gloom either. There’s a precedent of things working out for Baltimore with the franchise tag. Of the six other players in franchise history to get the tag, only two players — Terrell Suggs and Chris McAlister — played on the franchise tag in back-to-back seasons before getting an extension worked out. Wally Williams is the only player in Ravens history to not sign an extension with Baltimore after receiving the tag in 1998, leaving in free agency the following offseason.
There’s also plenty of plausible reasons why a deal didn’t come together before the deadline. From the coronavirus potentially spreading agents and front offices thin to a lack of other deals getting done to set the bar for Judon’s extension, this offseason has been unusual, to say the least. At the same time, the Ravens weren’t really under much pressure to get an extension done once the bigger names in free agency signed elsewhere, while Judon said he’s “blessed to have to play under this tag.”
The only real short-term ramification of Judon not getting an extension in time is to the Ravens’ salary cap. There was hope Baltimore could use a long-term extension to free up cap space for the 2020 season, either signing some more free agents or using the extra money in extensions for other big-name players like cornerback Marlon Humphrey and offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley.
Long-term, Judon not being signed to an extension makes the future a little more uncertain. The 2021 salary cap is already under fire due to the expected loss of revenue from the COVID-19 restrictions, and Judon not already being signed means Baltimore is missing one more piece of that salary-cap puzzle. Furthermore, there’s a lot of doubt with the Ravens’ pass rush as it stands right now and without Judon locked up for the next few years, it remains the team’s biggest personnel question mark in 2021 and beyond.
With this deadline come and gone, the focus returns to the 2020 season and Baltimore’s Super Bowl chances. The next real deadline for Judon and the Ravens is next offseason when he’ll become an unrestricted free agent once again. With roughly eight months before free agency starts for the 2021 season, there’s plenty of time to work something out and Baltimore has been proactive about getting deals done ahead of time under general manager Eric DeCosta.
At this point, things are in a bit of a standstill. There’s no reason to believe Judon will hold out in training camp or the regular season. And until other deals get signed to set the market for Judon or the Ravens know the salary-cap situation for the next few years, they’re right to be cautious. Something has to budge but there’s too much time for anyone to force their hand early.
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