Lamar Jackson may have looked sharp during the Ravens’ offseason work, but the contract situation around him still hasn’t settled - and now the picture sounds more complicated than just money.
According to a recent Sports Illustrated piece from league insider Jason La Canfora, Baltimore’s delay in announcing an extension comes down to more than one sticking point. The biggest one, he said, is that Jackson is focused less on chasing the league’s top annual salary and more on locking in the kind of long-term protection that has become harder to find at quarterback.
La Canfora wrote that "Jackson is far more concerned with full guarantee at the time of signing, and securing more than three years fully guaranteed, than he is about setting a new record for annual salary."
He added that "it would seem obvious that getting four-to-five years of massive QB money fully guaranteed starting in 2027 (like Mahomes' new structure) is the wedge between them."
That leaves Baltimore in a familiar spot with one of the NFL’s most important players. Jackson already signed a five-year contract reportedly worth up to $260M with $185M guaranteed in 2023, after he made a trade request public that offseason. That deal also gives the Ravens no path to move him without his consent and blocks them from using the franchise tag to keep his rights for 2028.
The offseason chatter around the extension has also included a simpler issue: getting in touch with Jackson. Back in March, it was said that Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta was "having trouble getting" Jackson "to answer his phone and" finalize the details of an extension. La Canfora said Baltimore again is having "a hard time connecting with their quarterback off the field," and described Jackson as someone who "can be a tough guy to get a hold of."
There are also broader questions floating around the league about how the Ravens view Jackson long term. He went 3-5 in the postseason as a starter under former head coach John Harbaugh before owner Steve Bisciotti relieved Harbaugh of his duties this past January. La Canfora said that "some of what has been hinted at and suggested and made its way around the league about what this franchise really thinks of Jackson has merit."
He also laid out the kinds of doubts that have followed Jackson in some corners of the league: "Surely this won’t be the first time you’ll have read that maybe Jackson isn’t enough of a leader. He doesn’t do enough in the offseason.
They moved practice to late afternoon because of his sleep schedule. His style of play won’t age well into his 30s.
He still doesn’t protect himself enough. What happens when his legs go?"
Even with all that noise, neither Bisciotti nor DeCosta has publicly indicated that they want to move on from Jackson once he turns 30 in January. Still, if the extension isn’t done before training-camp practices begin in late July, the questions around his future figure to get louder.
In Other News...
Mark Andrews Just Made A Powerful Reveal Beyond Football
Mark Andrews has never hidden the fact that life with type 1 diabetes has shaped him, and now the Ravens tight end is using his platform in a new way. Andrews announced a partnership with biotechnology company Genentech, continuing to put a personal spotlight on the realities of managing diabetes while also speaking to the people dealing with it every day.
What Andrews is pushing most is the idea that the condition should not keep anyone from chasing what they want, even as the daily challenges can be real. He also pointed to the importance of regular vision screenings for people with diabetes, a reminder that his advocacy goes beyond football and into the kind of health awareness that can make a lasting difference. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Enter A New Era With One Huge Question Still Lingering
Baltimores coaching room is about to look a lot different in 2026, and the plan is to blend old ideas with new voices rather than tear everything down and start from scratch. The staff makeover brings in influences from both sides of the ball, with a mix of familiar Ravens principles and fresh teaching styles that could shape how the team develops its young core.
The biggest question is whether that balance can actually hold once the season starts. Players like Malaki Starks, Nate Wiggins and Roger Rosengarten are among the ones expected to feel the benefit if the transition goes smoothly, but the real test will be how quickly the new approach takes root across a roster that is trying to stay competitive while learning on the fly. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens May Regret Letting This Pass Rush Dream Slip Away
Maxx Crosbys name keeps circling the rumor mill, and the Ravens are among the teams now left to wonder what might have been. Baltimore and Las Vegas had worked out a framework that would have sent the pass rusher to the Ravens, only for the move to collapse before it became official, leaving Crosby still with the Raiders and the league still talking about what kind of market he could command.
Former Raider Gerald McCoy thinks the noise could end up sharpening Crosbys edge this season, and he is not the only one watching for the next twist. With the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles also being mentioned as possible destinations, Crosby has kept his public stance muted, even as some of his social media activity has fed the speculation and kept the question of where this ends very much alive. [Read more 🡒]