The Lamar Jackson contract chatter around Baltimore has only gotten louder, but Ravens insider Jeff Zrebiec says the noise is being driven more by silence than by any real sign the sides are headed for a split.
In a Wednesday mailbag for The Athletic, Zrebiec explained why speculation about Jackson and the Ravens has turned “rampant” as July opens. The short version: the last round of negotiations was messy, people remember that, and neither side is giving outsiders much to work with now.
“Contract negotiations between Jackson and the team were extremely difficult the first time around, and I think people remember that, know Jackson and the team didn’t appear to be on the same page for parts of last season and assume that will carry over into these negotiations,” Zrebiec wrote. “And two, neither Jackson nor his extremely tight inner circle leaks anything to the media, and the team is extremely protective of all things Jackson out of respect for him.
Outsiders perceive the silence as an indication that the negotiations are going nowhere and a breakup is inevitable. To be clear: I’m not suggesting that.
I just think that’s why the speculation becomes rampant.”
Jackson’s situation has naturally drawn attention because this is not his first contract standoff. He went public with a trade request in early 2023 before eventually signing a five-year deal reportedly worth up to $260M with $185M guaranteed to remain in Baltimore.
There’s also the matter of timing. On Monday, it was suggested that Jackson could wait to see whether other quarterbacks reset the market next year before agreeing to another extension. His current deal also gives Baltimore less flexibility than it might like, since the team cannot retain his rights for 2028 via the franchise tag or trade him without his consent.
Still, Zrebiec pushed back on the idea that the Ravens are stalling or playing hardball. He said owner Steve Bisciotti made the team’s intentions clear to Jackson.
“I wouldn’t characterize it as the Ravens playing any games,” Zrebiec said. “Owner Steve Bisciotti was very clear to Jackson about the team’s desire to extend him. I could absolutely be wrong here, but I still get the sense that there’s a general understanding on both sides about the timing of these contract talks and the Ravens will be ready when/if Jackson is ready.”
That last part leaves plenty of room for interpretation, especially with Jackson not yet locked into the extension he wants. But there’s still time, and with training camps set to open in late July, both sides have a window to get something done.
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