When Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson signed his last contract ahead of the 2023 season, he became the highest-paid player in NFL history at that time. That deal, worth $260 million over five years, with $185 million guaranteed, has since been eclipsed several times over by the likes of Dak Prescott, Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow.
Now, Jackson is nearing the time he will once again need to begin engaging in negotiations with his franchise ahead of his next contract year. Jackson has indicated that being the highest-paid player in the league again would be nice, but what would it take for the Baltimore Ravens to make that offer?
Ravens Need Super Bowl Championship to Maximize Lamar Jackson’s Next Payday
The Ravens last won a Super Bowl in 2013, when Jackson was still in high school. They have been one of the best teams in football for the past few years, but just can’t seem to get to the big game, despite frequently being named as early contenders.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark knows a thing or two about making it to Super Bowls and about how formidable his former rivals are. Now an NFL analyst, Clark joined the “NFL on ESPN” and was asked about Jackson and what it will take to get him the biggest bag in the league.
“This is the team that, in the regular season, they play at such a high level and put themselves in position to win championships, and just fall short in the playoffs. This is absolutely a Super Bowl or bust year,” declared Clark.
Show host Dan Graziano mentioned that Jackson will be looking to perform at an MVP level once again in 2025. He won the coveted award in 2023, and many feel he was robbed in 2024, when he finished as runner-up to Allen. All of that will be in an effort to make this deal easier to close than the last one.
Clark agrees, “If Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens hoist the Lombardi at the end of the season, I think it’ll be history-breaking and history-setting when he gets that new deal.”
Jackson’s MVP Performance Could Lead to Record-Breaking Contract
This raises the question of whether Jackson is worthy of being the NFL’s highest-paid player. According to many analysts, if that happens, he will command upwards of $64.5 million per year.
According to Joel Corry from CBS Sports, Jackson holds a lot of leverage over the team. He is currently the 10th highest-paid quarterback in the league since Brock Purdy signed his new deal, and has certainly performed as well, if not better, than some of those higher than him on the list. According to PFSN’s QB+ metric, Jackson was among the highest-ranking NFL quarterbacks for 2024.
He noted that based on the trends set by Prescott, Allen, and the others, Jackson can easily justify that whopping $64.5 to $67 million a year. That considers inflation factors and an adjustment for the increase in the salary cap.
The Ravens and Jackson hit some bumps in the road during their last negotiation process, according to a new report. However, there seems to be little doubt that Jackson will remain firm in his insistence on a fully guaranteed contract. The real question will be how the Ravens will respond this time.