The biggest question regarding Lamar Jackson and the Ravens coming into Super Wild Card Weekend might not have been whether he plays vs. the Bengals on Sunday.
It might have been whether he takes another snap for Baltimore. Jackson and the Ravens will soon have to revisit failed contract negotiations after the team failed to come to terms with the Pro Bowl quarterback and 2019 NFL MVP ahead of the 2022 season.
Baltimore certainly would love to delay those talks for as long as possible, as that would indicate a deep run in the NFL playoffs. A win over the 4-seed Bengals would send the Ravens to the divisional round.
MORE: Jackson ruled out for playoff game vs. Bengals with 'unstable' knee
That said, the negotiations have loomed over the season, especially with Jackson missing the team's final five regular-season games and now the wild-card game with an injury. His next possible return window would be the divisional round — assuming Baltimore wins at Cincinnati.
The Sporting News breaks down Jackson's contract status and negotiations with the Ravens:
Lamar Jackson contract details
Jackson signed a rookie contract with the Ravens in 2018 worth $9.47 million ($7.57 million guaranteed) over four years, The deal included a $4.96 million signing bonus. The average annual value (AAV) of the deal was $2.36 million.
The team exercised its fifth-year option on Jackson for the 2022 season, in which he made $23.01 million.
Below is a year-by-year breakdown of Jackson's contract, per Spotrac.com:
| Year | Base salary | Signing bonus | Cap hit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | $480,000 | $1,242,117 | $1,722,117 |
| 2019 | $910,529 | $1,242,117 | $2,152,646 |
| 2020 | $1,341,059 | $1,242,117 | $2,583,176 |
| 2021 | $1,771,588 | $1,242,120 | $3,013,708 |
| 2022 | $23,016,000 | — | $23,016,000 |
Jackson will have concluded his Baltimore contract as of the completion of the 2022 season. He is in line to become one of the highest-paid players in the league. The sides' inability to successfully negotiate his next contract has become one of the NFL's biggest storylines heading into the offseason.
MORE: Why Jackson has yet to sign with Ravens long term
Lamar Jackson contract negotiations with Ravens
Jackson and the Ravens were unable to come to terms on a new contract before the start of the 2022 season. He did not want negotiations to bleed into the season and thus ended talks with the team by his Sept. 9, 2022, deadline so he could focus on his play this year.
That said, Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta issued a statement suggesting the two parties had made significant progress in negotiations, putting forth a positive outlook for renewed talks following the season.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh said he expected Jackson to be Baltimore's quarterback "for a long time."
That hasn't stopped reports from leaking about Baltimore's prosposal — or the long-term deal Jackson would prefer. The quarterback's subsequent statements about his situation have added intrigue. The negotiating process should restart in earnest following the end of Baltimore's season.
Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported on Sept. 11 that Baltimore offered Jackson a contract with more guaranteed money than the contracts for Russell Wilson ($124 million) and Kyler Murray ($103.3 million). The proposed deal reportedly also had an average annual value of $49 million, just $1 million per year shy of Aaron Rodgers' extension with the Packers ($50 million).
ESPN's Chris Mortensen provided specifics of the deal, reporting that the contract was for six years and the guaranteed money was $133 million. The biggest hangup in negotiations was that Jackson wanted fully guaranteed money on par with the $230 million Deshaun Watson received from the Browns.
Jackson, who represents himself in contract dealings, reportedly consulted the NFL Players Association, which told him he was "justified" in seeking a fully guaranteed contract. Of course, the Ravens reportedly did not want to offer more guaranteed money.
Before the deadline, Jackson tweeted in late August that Baltimore did not offere a contract exceeding $250 million in value:
MORE: Jackson reportedly turned down deal larger than Russell Wilson's
Will the Ravens use a franchise tag on Lamar Jackson?
The Ravens almost certainly will use a franchise tag on Jackson, as noted by Jay Glazer on Sept. 11:
Spotrac notes that an exclusive franchise tag for Jackson in 2023 would cost roughly $45.4 million; that number would swell to $54.4 million in 2024 if the Ravens tag him again. The site added that those estimates are based on the top five cap hits among quarterbacks in 2023 when the restricted tender period ends on April 20, 2023.
The 2023 franchise tag would feature a smaller AAV ($45.4 million) that the reported $49 million in the Ravens' offer prior to the season. It's not an ideal situation for Jackson, who wants a fully guaranteed long-term contract, or the team, which wants to secure the future of its franchise.