Amid the chaos that has consumed the Baltimore Ravens and their nixed trade for Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby are the deals that were made (or not made) in its wake.
Baltimore quickly pivoted to edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, signing him to a four-year, $112 million deal. Even so, there is work to be done, including finding another long-term extension for Lamar Jackson.
Eric DeCosta Comments on Potential Lamar Jackson Extension
The Ravens have yet to put pen to paper on a Jackson extension for his early-to-mid 30s. They did, however, restructure his contract to create more cap space.
On Wednesday, Baltimore restructured Jackson’s contract to decrease his 2026 cap number from $74.5 million to $34.54 million, per ESPN. Fortunately for Ravens fans, that doesn’t preclude them from eventually inking an extension.
General manager Eric DeCosta spoke about that possibility in his first media availability after the Crosby saga.
“We kind of ran out of time. … Certainly hopeful that we’ll get an extension done,” DeCosta said, via WNST Baltimore. “I think it’s important to both parties.”
For now, the Ravens will benefit from the added cap space, pushing off financial obligations to load up for another deep playoff run.
Despite battling injuries last season, Jackson still played fairly well in 2025, ranking 12th in PFSN’s NFL QB Impact Metric. It wasn’t the MVP season that the Baltimore faithful had come to expect, but with a clean bill of health and a shifting supporting cast, there’s reason to believe he’ll return to form in 2026.
Likewise, Baltimore is still very interested in locking up its quarterback long term.
“Certainly hopeful that we get an extension done,” DeCosta said, via Albert Breer.
Ultimately, no player is more important to the Ravens’ competitive window than Jackson. Keeping him healthy, optimized, and surrounded with high-level talent is imperative, and part of that equation means playing with cap space to maximize the roster.
DeCosta remains focused on that goal after the turbulence of the Crosby deal. His comments about the fallout are in line with the quick addition of Hendrickson and suggest some semblance of urgency regarding other moves, like a Jackson extension.
“I’ve got a responsibility to the Ravens, to this community, to the fans and to Steve Bisciotti to do what we think is best for the club,” DeCosta said. “And that’s what we try to do. Every decision we make is based on this idea, is this what’s best for the Ravens?”
It isn’t immediately clear how Crosby’s deal will reverberate throughout the league, but as Baltimore moves past the ordeal, it has the cap space and flexibility to add to the roster.
