Here we go again. Lamar Jackson is hurt. And with that potentially season-ending injury to his thumb, another Baltimore Ravens season appears to be circling the drain -- and questions of if Jackson's time with the team are going down with it have predictably returned.
ESPN said "it's possible that his last play with the Ravens ended with him walking off the field in pain." The Baltimore Banner asked "was that the end of the Lamar Jackson era in Baltimore?"
I guess we're doing this again.
I understand why the question gets asked. After the Ravens failed to extend Jackson in the offseason, he only has one year left on his deal, with a cap hit of more than $84 million in 2027. Including this year, he'll have missed at least four games in four of the last
six seasons. And the Ravens are staring at a third missed postseason in those four years. Plus, Jackson turns 30 in January.
Would the Ravens commit a big extension to an aging and injury-prone quarterback so reliant on his mobility? And if they can't reach an extension, could they afford to keep him at that cap number?
The answer to the first question should be a simple YES! If it's up to the Ravens, of course they should extend their two-time MVP, three-time first-team All-Pro and the NFL's second all-time leader in career passer rating. It shouldn't even be a dicussion.
To be clear, this isn't to insinuate the Ravens don't want Jackson to stay. I have no clue how the organization feels. But his injuries have brought into focus their failure to secure an extension before the season, and what that means for the future.
Which brings us to the second question: no, they probably can't afford to keep Jackson at that number and field a competitive team. But if they reach a point where that's necessary, Jackson probably didn't want to stay anyway. Because the Ravens should just give him what he wants in those negotiations.
That's the only way it can go. If Jackson ever plays for another team, it should be because he decided to walk away. Not because the Ravens didn't do everything in their power to make sure he stayed. Even if that means paying a premium That's the leverage Jackson earned, after all, through his play and through a unique contract situation he was willing to drag out to the final, backbreaking year. Potentially to put pressure on Baltimore to improve the team around him, like the offensive line that remains abysmal.
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If he leaves, it'll be because they failed to do that. And it'll show when he's gone, because there's no way the Ravens get immediately better without Jackson. Which is why they need to do everything in their power to reach a deal.
When Jackson is on the field, he's still a difference maker. The flip side of the Ravens' missed playoffs in his injury-riddled years is they make the playoffs every year he's healthy. The Ravens were 3-1 through his first four starts this season. They're 0-3 since he's been out. And it's not like his injuries are usually a result of his running. Both this year came behind the line of scrimmage, including the latest when he hit his hand during a pass attempt.
Any other elite quarterback and it wouldn't be a question if their team would consider letting him walk. It shouldn't be with the Ravens either. No matter how this season ends, if Lamar Jackson wants to continue being a Raven, the Ravens have to make sure he is. It would be an organizational failure to push out one of the league's best players.
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This article originally appeared on For The Win: The Ravens would be foolish to entertain Lamar Jackson's potential exit
