The clock is ticking on the Baltimore Ravens to come to an extension agreement with their star quarterback Lamar Jackson. Speaking with reporters on Saturday, Jackson said that he’d stop all negotiations once the 2022 regular season starts.
“We’re coming up to it. It’s coming up,” Jackson told reporters when asked whether there is a deadline for the deal to be made. “The season’s coming up. We’re going to be good for the season.”
If he doesn’t receive a new deal, Jackson will then play out 2022 on a fifth-year option that will pay him $23 million in salary. The former NFL MVP would then be set to become a free agent, although the Ravens have a franchise tag as an option to keep him in Baltimore.
Jackson doesn’t have an agent and is handling the extension negotiations himself. The two sides reportedly only started talking in June as the 25-year-old player previously didn’t show much interest in getting the agreement done.
If Baltimore and Jackson manage to find common ground in the next four weeks, the Louisville product is expected to become the highest-paid quarterback in the league. Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers is currently the top-paid QB with a $50.3 million annual salary.
Jackson, who was the Ravens’ first-round pick in 2018, has thrown for 9,967 yards, 84 touchdowns, and 31 interceptions so far in his pro career. He also added 3,673 rushing yards and 21 TDs en route to two Pro Bowl nods and an MVP award in 2019.
