It seems as though the Baltimore Ravens are facing an uphill battle to keep their star quarterback Lamar Jackson. In a letter to fans posted on Twitter, Jackson revealed that he wanted to leave the Ravens and has submitted a trade request in early March.
“As of March 2nd I requested a trade from the Ravens organization for which the Ravens have not been interested in meeting my value, any and everyone that’s has met me or been around me know I love the game of football and my dream is to help a team win the super bowl, “Jackson wrote.
Jackson added that the Ravens fans are “great,” but that he needed to “make a business decision that was best for my family and I.”
After learning about Jackson’s tweet, Baltimore’s head coach John Harbaugh told the reporters that he still believes the two sides will come to a resolution and that the former MVP will be the Ravens’ starting quarterback in 2023.
“I’m pretty fired up about Lamar Jackson. Lamar Jackson is a great player. Lamar came back in great shape last year. He’s fired up to play. That’s the Lamar that I’m looking forward to seeing,” said Harbaugh.
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens have been engaged in a contract standoff for a couple of seasons now. Reportedly, the player wants a fully guaranteed deal, while the Ravens made it clear they are not even thinking about giving him one. This resulted in Jackson seeing out the end of his rookie deal and Baltimore placing a non-exclusive franchise tag on him.
With the non-exclusive franchise tag, Jackson can negotiate a deal with any other team. After he signs the contract, the Ravens would have five days to match it or to let Jackson go and receive two first-round picks in exchange.
Jackson is coming off back-to-back years in which he finished the season prematurely due to injuries. He is 45-16 as a starter since entering the league and was named NFL MVP in 2019.
