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With quarterbacks Kyler Murray, Deshaun Watson, and Aaron Rodgers each earning contracts with base salaries of at least $46 million and $100 million guaranteed, the pressure is on the Ravens to get a deal done with Lamar Jackson. The 2019 NFL MVP is clearly deserving of an extension, and when you compare his resume to Murray and Watson, we could be seeing some eye-popping figures down the road.
The former Heisman Trophy winner boasts a 37-12 regular season record as the Ravens’ starting signal-caller. In four seasons and 49 starts, Jackson has produced 13,640 combined passing and rushing yards, and 105 touchdowns to just 44 turnovers (fumbles lost and interceptions.)
Ultimately, his resume rivals any quarterback in their first four seasons in NFL history, at least in the regular season.
Were Watson and Murray worth their contract extensions?
]Murray and Watson have been far from excellent in the win-loss column, although a lot of that can be attributed to poor supporting casts and/or coaching. When you consider Watson drew $230 million guaranteed money from the Browns fresh off of 20-plus sexual assault allegations, it’s difficult to know what ballpark Jackson’s contract will be in.
You’d have to think he’d at least want the same contract as Kyler Murray ($46.1 million salary, $103.3 fully guaranteed), but he surely has the right to ask for the guarantees Watson got, too. Jackson is representing himself, and if he hasn’t budged yet, he probably isn’t going to.
How Much Money Will Lamar Jackson Make?
Jackson will make $23 million in 2022 if he doesn't reach an extension with Baltimore as the team exercised his fifth-year option. Ultimately, this situation could go a number of ways after Jackson set a Week 1 deadline for contract extension talks. Lamar could play on the fifth-year option and then re-open negotiations next year, but Baltimore also has the option of franchise tagging him twice.
We could see drama and holdouts in the future in a long, drawn-out staredown between Jackson and the Ravens’ front office. However, there’s also a chance he signs shortly – before Week 1, and it’ll be shocking if he doesn’t at least earn a top-five QB salary with record-breaking guaranteed money. It would probably be smart for Baltimore to extend him before guys like Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert potentially sign league-shattering contracts next off-season.
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