While the extension of the Lamar Jackson contract is looming, the crows know that “the value is the summit”

Palm Beach, Florida – Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh, said on Monday that the team had internal discussions on a contract extension for the quarter -Arrière Lamar Jackson and thinks that it is something that will have to happen “early or later”.

What this extension looks like, Harbaugh is not sure. But he certainly has a pretty good idea.

“The value is the summit,” said Harbaugh during the breakfast of AFC coach during the annual NFL meetings at the Resort Breakers. “When Lamar is paid, he will be the best paid player in football, just as he was the last time. I think each contract he probably signs until he decides to hang up his crampons, he will be this guy.”

The Ravens and Jackson, the MVP of the League twice and finalist of this prize last season, agreed with an extension of contract of $ 260 million over five years less than two years ago on the eve of the draft of the NFL 2023. There was however an understanding that the Ravens and Jackson should probably return to the negotiation table in two or three years.

The blow of $ 43.5 million in Jackson for 2025 is manageable for a team of Ravens which is eternally tight against the ceiling. However, Jackson’s ceiling number increased to $ 74.5 million in 2026 and 2027. It would be almost untenable for the Ravens trying to build a list of championship caliber around their star quarter.

By accepting an agreement with Jackson in the coming weeks, the Ravens could not only add an immediate and essential breathing room for wages to help the construction of their current list, but they could get ahead of negotiations that will become a need for the next off -season when the player would have a ton of lever effect.

“There have been conversations on (an extension of Jackson) internally, I know,” said Harbaugh. “How far is, I don’t know. … It will continue to be approached, really with all these guys. Just manage this dance – wage dance – and Lamar is the main part of that, because he is the franchise player. It is a possibility. Very or later, it will certainly happen.”

Previous negotiations with Jackson two years ago were a significant pressure on the director general of Baltimore, Eric Decosta. Jackson represents himself and has no agent, so Decosta had to navigate the negotiations with high issues for a historic contract in order to reach an agreement, the two parties of which were satisfied and not offending the face of the Ravens franchise in the process.

Decosta and Jackson have a solid relationship, but it was certainly tested during the previous negotiations. The tension of the talks culminated when Jackson went to his X account to ask for a business as well as Harbaugh entered the room for coach breakfast during annual League meetings in 2023.

Several factors, including Jackson being even more rooted, because the team leader and his level of comfort with the team’s decision-makers, could make the talks of extension pending a little easier this time. First, a collision point in the last talks was the perceived desire of Jackson for an entirely guaranteed agreement after the Browns of Cleveland signed the quarter-Arrière Deshaun Watson to a fully guaranteed contract of $ 230 million in March 2022. The position of the Ravens was that the Watson agreement was the exception rather than an industrial trend. Other transactions signed by stars quarters since then have proven that the ravens are correct.

Second, the Ravens may have just obtained a plan for a potential Jackson agreement, thanks to the Buffalo Bills, the team that ended its season in the AFC divisional tour in January. Earlier this month, the Bills signed the quarter-Arrière star Josh Allen, which has ahead of Jackson to win the MVP 2024 prize, at a 330 million dollars over six years which included 250 million dollars guaranteed.

In terms of guaranteed money and total value, Allen is the highest paid quarter in the league. Dallas Cowboys’ quarter-rear, Dak Prescott, is the best paid signal in terms of average per year, because it earns $ 60 million per year as part of its $ 240 million pact over four years. The transactions for Allen, Prescott, Joe Burrow (five years, $ 275 million, $ 219 million guaranteed), Jordan Love (four years, $ 220 million, 160.3 million dollars guaranteed)) were all announced since Jackson’s 2023 extension made it temporarily the NFL player.

If the Ravens intend to make Jackson the best paid quarter of football, they could simply work on the Allen agreement and go a little higher. It is not clear if it would be acceptable to Jackson. Jackson declared in the past that he knew his value and that he was not worried about the other quarter agreements.

Questioned on Sunday on a potential extension for Jackson, team president Sashi Brown reported questions to Decosta. However, Brown clearly indicated how the organization values ​​its 28-year-old quarter.

“We love Lamar and like to see his progression and his evolution as a young man, as a football player and team leader,” said Brown.

Asked later about Jackson’s value for the brand of Ravens, Brown said: “If I had to find a word for that, I would just say it was great. I think that his story of 31 guys was written on him, people telling him everything he could not do and to go out far beyond the expectations probably that everyone in the world has for him, except perhaps him and his mom.

“It was great to look at, and we want to do our best to support it and really crown this story and bring the Super Bowl trophy to Baltimore.”

Timing for an extension would be appropriate. Jackson probably comes the best year in his career. The Ravens had the first attack of the League in 2025 statistically, and Jackson established careers in the vings by the pass (4172), the passes of Touché (41) and the quarter note (119.6) while launching only four interceptions. It has become the first quarter of the history of NFL to pass for more than 4,000 yards and ran for more than 900.

“He works hard and has a state of growth, and he wants to be better,” said Harbaugh. It’s the thing. This is what I like about Lamar Jackson. He just wants to improve all the time. He is never satisfied, and he talks about winning the Super Bowl, and when he wins a super bowl – not so, but when he wins a super bowl – he will still not be satisfied.

Harbaugh approached several other subjects during his 30 -minute question and answers session on Monday.

• Despite a speculation offset regarding the future of Mark Andrews with the team, Harbaugh said that he expects the tight end to Baltimore in 2025.

“My plans are that we have Mark, we have Isaiah (probably), we have Charlie (Kolar), we have Pat Ricard in place to do all these jobs,” said Harbaugh.

Andrews is in the last year of his contract, and his $ 16.9 million ceiling was the highest third of the team. Andrews, probably and Kolar all enter the last year of their transactions, and it would be difficult for Ravens to extend both Andrews and the ascending probability.

Andrews is 30 years old in September. He came out of a season in which he experienced 11 courses in a career, but he did not succeed that 39.6 yards receive per game, his lowest total since his recruit season. Its escape and the drop of the fourth quarter of a potential conversion of two points have set themselves well in the defeat of the Ravens qualifiers in Buffalo.

“Mark is in a good place,” said Harbaugh. “He works very hard. I expect him to play for us next year. He’s just too good player. ”

• One day after Brown said the Ravens were waiting for the NFL survey on Justin Tucker, Harbaugh confirmed that the team was doing their homework on the booters available in next month.

Harbaugh said that Senior Special Team coach Randy Brown has traveled and developed boots. The best boots available in this year’s draft include Andres Borregales de Miami, Ryan Fitzgerald de Florida State and Ben Sauls from Pittsburgh.

The Ravens have never written a botter in the history of the franchise. However, the future of Tucker, who was accused of inappropriate sexual behavior by 16 massage therapists of the Baltimore region as part of a series of investigation of the Baltimore banner, is in limbo.

“We will watch these guys next week on our return. Obviously, there are a lot of diapers to all this conversation, but that’s something we have to do whatever happens,” said Harbaugh during the editorial request of a botter. “At this point, you have to look. You must always make your reasonable diligence, so we will be ready to do it on the day of the draft if we have the impression that we need it and if the right guy is there.”

• Harbaugh said that an extension of the off -season contract for the ball carrier Derrick Henry is “definitively in the conversation”. The 31 -year -old back, which rushed to 1,921 yards and experienced 18 affected in total, entered the last year of his contract. Henry clearly said he would like Baltimore to be the last stop of his career.

“I know it was talked about, and yes, I would like to see it too,” said Harbaugh.

• Despite the interior interior Trenton Simpson which is bench in December for a combination of veterans Malik Harrison and the board of directors of Chris, Harbaugh said that he expected the third year pro a weak starting secondary on the first Downs. Harbaugh recognized that the Ravens will have to add a few seconds before the training camp after losing Harrison, Board and Kristian Welch in the free agency.

Although comfortable that the team has the depth necessary to replace the starting goalkeeper Patrick Mekari and the swing man Josh Jones, Harbaugh also said that the Ravens will have to add to their mixture.

(Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)