The Baltimore Ravens and quarterback Lamar Jackson have yet to agree to a long-term contract after many believed the two sides would have been in agreement by this point. Jackson is currently slated to become an unrestricted free agent next month, and would instantly become the best free agent on the market.
On Saturday, a joint report from Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network mentioned how Baltimore will franchise tag Jackson in the coming weeks if no long-term deal is struck, and that the team could be tempted to trade the star if a big enough offer gets presented to them. The report has much of the same information that has been seen for weeks, and only adds to the uncertainty surrounding the situation.
Could the #Ravens trade QB Lamar Jackson? After he receives the franchise tag, a windfall of draft picks could tempt Baltimore to consider a deal.
Story from me, @TomPelissero and @MikeGarafolo: https://t.co/mcI514TN63— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 11, 2023
A franchise tag would put the Ravens in a tough spot cap wise, as the team is slated to have around $28 million in cap space before any sort of Jackson deal is on the books. The non-exclusive franchise tag would be a one-year, $32 million fully guaranteed deal, while the exclusive franchise tag would be around a one-year, $45 million fully guaranteed deal. Any sort of long-term extension would have cap hit flexibility, especially if the contract is back-loaded. A trade would give the Ravens a treasure trove of assets, but at the cost of a franchise quarterback and former league-MVP.