Lamar Jackson has another reminder sitting right in front of him.
The Ravens just handed Zay Flowers a massive new deal, and Nick Wright thinks the message is impossible to miss. On Tuesday’s episode of FS1’s "First Things First", Wright pointed to the four-year, $140 million extension - the biggest contract Baltimore has ever given a wide receiver - as proof the team is already making major financial commitments around Jackson.
“It is gobsmacking that the Ravens gave him that deal. And it is a sign that the Ravens think: we do have a star receiver. ... It is a further commitment to the idea: 'Lamar, you’ve got enough, man.'”
The extension lands at a time when Jackson has been making noise about his own contract situation. He is set to reach free agency after 2027, and the deal for Flowers only adds another layer to that conversation.
Jackson’s standing around the league also took a hit in The Athletic’s latest quarterback rankings from Mike Sando. For years, he’s been viewed as one of the NFL’s elite passers, blending electric rushing with improving accuracy. This time, though, he was placed in Tier 2, while Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow were the only quarterbacks in Tier 1.
One opposing coach offered a blunt explanation for the slide:
“I’m not sure how much he wants to run and take hits anymore. He can’t be special without the threat of a run.
I think he needs to be more active when he does run. It used to be he would go and outrun you.
Now, he kind of goes, but he is not always moving with purpose.”
Baltimore’s 2026 season opens on September 13 at the Indianapolis Colts, with kickoff set for 1 p.m. ET on CBS.
In Other News...
Zay Flowers Just Raised The Stakes For Baltimores Next Big Decision
The Vikings made their commitment to Jordan Addison official by picking up the wide receivers fifth-year option, a move that locks in another layer of stability for a passing game trying to sort out its future. Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski called Addison an impact player, which fits the bigger picture in Minnesota: even after a season slowed by suspension and quarterback instability, the team is still betting on his talent and the work he has put in during training camp.
For Baltimore, the news is hard to ignore because it sharpens the next big question around Zay Flowers and the value the Ravens place on their own young playmaker. Teams do not hand out these decisions casually, and when a rival locks in a receiver with Addisons profile, it only adds to the urgency elsewhere in the league for front offices weighing how much to invest in their own breakout pass catchers. The Ravens are still in the part of the calendar where those choices are about projection and trust, and Flowers remains right in the middle of that conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Lamar Jackson Just Got Another Reason To Silence NFL Doubters
Lamar Jackson remains one of the leagues most closely watched quarterbacks, even if the outside conversation around him has shifted in recent seasons. His rushing volume has dropped sharply from the earliest years of his career, but he still showed plenty of passing efficiency in 2024, and the Ravens continue to view him as the engine of everything they want to do on offense.
A recent ranking from NFL coaches and executives placed Jackson among the top quarterbacks again, even with a slight slide from the previous year, which is the kind of reminder that his standing is still very much elite. The bigger question for Baltimore is what comes next after an injury-marred 2025 campaign, because with a healthy offseason and a new offensive coordinator, there is a real sense that Jackson could have another chance to answer the league's lingering doubts in 2026. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens May Have Found The Passing Game Spark They Desperately Needed
Jesse Minter is settling into his new role as Ravens head coach, and one of the early training camp storylines has been rookie wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane. The third-round pick has flashed the kind of burst that can change the feel of an offense, and Minter has already singled him out as a key playmaker. For a Baltimore passing game that finished 27th last season, any receiver capable of stretching the field and creating easy separation is going to draw attention quickly.
Lanes early momentum matters because the Ravens are looking for more than just another camp standout. They need someone who can help make the passing game more dangerous and less predictable, and the rookies explosive plays have given them a reason to believe that answer might already be in the building. Training camp is still young, but Lane has done enough to make his presence felt, and the next step is proving those flashes can carry over once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]