Lamar

Jackson

The Ravens are among 10 teams getting an early start to their offseason program due to the team’s hiring of a new head coach. The Ravens have been hoping to sign Jackson to an extension since last offseason, and GM Eric DeCosta said last month that he was still hopeful a new deal could be reached before the start of the season. Jackson is coming off a down season in which he threw for 2,549-21-7 while dealing with injuries and an offensive line that struggled to keep opposing defenders off him. Jackson’s decision to report to the offseason program suggests the two sides are in good standing with one another, but with two years left on his current deal, it’s possible Jackson delays an extension and bets on himself to return to MVP form before putting pen to paper.

Getting Lamar Jackson to actually sign a contract extension feels like a big ask given they’ve been trying to do it since last offseason, but DeCosta said the restructuring of his deal “doesn’t change his optimism or the difficulty around Lamar signing long term.” We’re in “believe it when we see it” mode with this extension, but the Ravens (of course) will continue to be overwhelmingly optimistic publicly.

Kinkhabwala didn’t say the deal was restructured, but she did note the move was done for cap purposes yesterday to clear space for the Maxx Crosby trade. We will assume it was a simple restructure—converting base salary into a signing bonus—unless someone corrects the record. Jackson currently has two years left on his deal, but both sides should be working toward an extension this offseason.

Every Lamar Jackson contract negotiation seems to drag on forever because Lamar Jackson is his own agent. The Ravens would prefer not to restructure Jackson’s deal because it pushes more money into the 2027 season, potentially giving Jackson more leverage for the negotiation. The Ravens have talked about getting this extension done since before the 2025 season. This is essentially deadline time for Baltimore because they need the cap space to deal with 2026’s free agency class, especially impending free agent center Tyler Linderbaum, who may get $25 million a season. The Ravens have projected confidence that a deal will get done all offseason. Clock is ticking.

There’s an element of this answer that nods to an ideal world, because the times where he can run less are based on “if you build an offense that takes advantage of the under center, the downhill run game. Now that opens up a lot of boots and play actions.” But it’s not what fantasy football managers want to hear after last season’s scant 67/349/2 line while struggling through injuries. Entering his age-29 season, it wouldn’t be surprising if Jackson’s game evolved. It certainly sounds like his head coach would rather it evolve than not.

Jackson, slated to be a free agent after the 2027 NFL season, could re-up with the Ravens after being involved in the coaching search that ended with former Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter as Baltimore’s new head coach. During a press conference at the NFL Combine on Tuesday, DeCosta declined to discuss any details of a potential extension for Jackson, who in 2023 signed a five-year deal worth $260 million, with $185 million guaranteed. Jackson, 29, is looking to bounce back in 2026 after an injury-marred 2025 campaign in which the Ravens missed the playoffs.

There was a brief groundswell towards the end of the season about the Ravens possibly moving on from Jackson by the sourced men, but it doesn’t appear like the Ravens are heading in that direction if you listen to their owner. Bisciotti told the media that he “made it very clear” to Jackson that he wants to get an extension done before free agency. Ravens GM Eric DeCosta has also mentioned in this press conference the idea of extending Lamar and that cap space being used to sign some “big ticket” players. It sounds like Jackson — hopefully a healthier version of him — will be back in the black and purple next year.

Rapoport added that a new Baltimore head coach would ideally “reach” Jackson and “get the absolute most” out of the two-time NFL MVP. Jackson, who appeared checked out and low-effort at time in 2025, will remain the centerpiece of the Ravens offense in the aftermath of John Harbaugh’s firing after 18 years at the helm. There was reportedly a rift between Jackson and Harbaugh in the months leading up to Harbaugh’s dismissal. Jackson in 2025 saw a significant statistical drop off from his wildly efficient 2024 season. His passing success rate (46 percent) was the third lowest of his NFL career and he took a sack on 10.3 percent of his drop backs, the highest rate of his career.

Kingsbury, who mutually parted ways with the Commanders on Tuesday, will apparently have his choice of head coaching gigs, with the Titans and Giants lining up to interview him. Kingsbury would be an interesting fit with Lamar Jackson; he has plenty of experience coaching dual-threat QBs over his years in Arizona and Washington. Minter, meanwhile, would be the natural choice if the team is committed to getting back to its tough-nosed defensive roots. Wacker also mentioned Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula, who would seem to be a long shot for the job.

Jackson’s mobility was (comparatively) limited, but for the most part, the 28-year-old was outstanding. He made several highlight-worthy throws; particularly a touchdown throw to Zay Flowers where he broke out of a sack and showed perfect touch on a a 64-yard touchdown. Unfortunately for him and the Ravens, Baltimore missed a last-second field goal, and there’ll be no playoffs for the 28-year-old. Jackson’s season was obviously hampered by injuries, but there were more than enough good moments to suggest he’s still an elite option at the position. Entering his age-29 season, Jackson’s looming contract situation has been predicted to be one of the biggest offseason storylines by a few agents. It’s hard to forecast his fantasy value without knowing all the variables, but we’re sure he’ll be one of the first few quarterbacks off the board in 2026 despite an injury-plagued ’25 season.