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A year ago, when the Green Bay Packers stared at crossroads with Aaron Rodgers, the impasse was probably about everything but his contract.
Rogers wanted more communication with the front office, more participation in team planning, and more respect for the core veterans who built the culture. All of that, plus one huge side item for the league’s current MVP: a reconstructed contract that made him an undisputed starter for Green Bay until at least the 2023 season, and the distinction of being the highest-paid player in the NFL. When it was all over, the final tally was undeniable.
Whatever short-term promise the Packers front office couldn’t guarantee was brilliantly resolved by long-term guaranteed money.
Here’s the formula for resolving the impasse between Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. write it down. Laminate. We will revisit in weeks, months and years, but it will take time to reach the inevitable numbers. This is September of last year. That is now. And what will happen if Jackson finally plays the 2023 season under the franchise tag.
That should have been the point at Thursday’s press conference when Ravens head coach Jon Harbaugh and general manager Eric DeCoster reaffirmed the same things they’ve been saying since the start of this negotiation. they want to close the deal. And they are in no hurry to publicly spell out why it is taking so long.
Somehow the whole thing was treated as a revelatory news item, despite being the exact stance the organization has taken since the moment negotiations began. got it What’s the team of the future with Jackson at quarterback? Well, let Harbaugh add rhetoric and let the points go home again.
“One hundred percent, two hundred percent,” Harbaugh said Thursday. “There is no question about it. Lamar Jackson is the quarterback. He is our quarterback. All of our thoughts on the people of , are based on this incredible young man and his talent, ability and competitiveness.”
Yes, even if we forgot the clichés about hard work and communication and optimism, there was no shortage of them Thursday. Just as there was no shortage of window-dressing issues up to the investment, the surrounding offensive pieces ready to compete.
Admittedly, those are all good signs when it comes to the Ravens wanting Jackson back.But then again, the franchise never said it won’t I want Jackson back. What the Ravens have said repeatedly is that this is a tough negotiation going on. And some contract negotiations are more difficult and time consuming than others.
Thursday’s press conference was a one-sentence press conference that could have ended with DeCoster’s first words about his confidence in getting Jackson’s contract extension.
right there. that’s it. The message is that this has been in the same place since the beginning, with the two sides staring at each other, trying to figure out the exact number of contracts and the set of guarantees that will keep Jackson in the long run.
The solution to this is as easy as August. Baltimore could soften his stance on how close he is to meeting Jackson with the total deposit he’s asking for, or a fully-insured deal. If neither of those things happen, Baltimore can continue to control Jackson’s future with the franchise tag, and he can either side with him or refuse and force a deal.
This is a constantly moving road and you will have to cross various bridges along the way. This week, negotiations will pick up where they left off. next month for the team to give Jackson either an exclusive franchise tag (which could result in a salary of about $45 million) or a non-exclusive tag (which is expected to bring in about $32.5 million). A window opens. Exclusive tagging means Jackson can only negotiate with the Ravens. Non-exclusive tagging allows Jackson to negotiate free agent deals with other teams and Baltimore You can either match a contract or receive two first-round draft picks as a reward.
That tag window opens on February 21st and extends through March 7th. If both sides do not make an extension by then, Jackson will definitely be tagged. That’s a foregone conclusion.
Once he’s tagged, the burden shifts to Jackson, who makes decisions about what the move means and how he reacts. Will you be away from the team all season? Yes. If he’s tied to a non-exclusive franchise tag, will he negotiate a deal with another team? Is this all coming to a meaningful crossroads? absolutely.
Either way, we’re going to see how insurmountable the gap between Jackson and the Ravens is. Keyout is no bigger mystery than when talks broke down last September.
This is down the Rogers path. There will be a lot of digressions, resolutions and clichés about what is important. Money is still the main attraction. As usual.
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