After months of back and forth, the Ravens finally paid their man, signing star quarterback Lamar Jackson to a reported five-year, $260 million contract extension. The deal makes the former MVP the highest-paid player in league history, eclipsing Jalen Hurts’ new deal with the Eagles. Josina Anderson is reporting that $185 million is guaranteed. Only Deshaun Watson’s $230-million deal with Cleveland had more guaranteed money in league history.
Baltimore announced the move on social media with a video of Jackson speaking to the team’s followers: “For the last few months, there’s been a lot of ‘he say, she say’. A lot of nail-biting, a lot of head-scratching going on. But for the next five years, it’s about the flock going on. Let’s go baby. Let’s go! Let’s go man, can’t wait to get there, can’t wait to be there. Can’t wait to light up M&T (Bank Stadium) for the next five years,” Jackson said.
The extension brings to an end one of the NFL’s biggest storylines of the offseason, with Jackson’s future in Baltimore highly in doubt thanks to questionable moves from the Ravens’ front office, plus Jackson himself announcing he requested a trade from the organization. All wounds can be healed and clearly, money can bring people together for a common goal. No matter how slim it seemed at times, Jackson will only play for Baltimore through at least the 2027 season.