Ravens GM confirms team is in 'introductory stage' of contract talks with Lamar Jackson

• Lamar Jackson, a two-time NFL MVP, is expected to sign a new contract with the Baltimore Ravens that will make him the highest-paid player in the NFL.
• Jackson's current contract has a cap hit of over $70 million for the 2026 season, making a new deal a priority for the Ravens.
• Analysts predict Jackson's new contract could be worth $65.5 million to $67 million per year, potentially even higher due to inflation and salary cap increases.
• Jackson currently ranks as the 10th highest-paid quarterback in the NFL following Brock Purdy's recent contract extension.

Lamar Jackson is a two-time NFL MVP and arguably should have won the award in 2024. Baltimore's 2025NFL season is quickly approaching, and the Ravens' focus has shifted to reshaping the roster and preparing for a juggernaut of a schedule.

The Ravens have made fifth-year option decisions on Kyle Hamilton and Tyler Linderbaum, while Jackson will have a cap hit of over $70 million for the 2026 season. During March's NFL owners' meetings in Florida, head coach John Harbaugh confirmed that Jackson is due for a new deal that will once again make him the highest-paid player in NFL history.

That hasn't happened yet, but DeCosta, during an appearance on the BMore Baseball Podcast, confirmed that those discussions have started.

“We’ve had some conversations before the draft, after the draft, in person last week,” DeCosta said, via the team’s website. “I think we’re in the introductory sort of stage of looking at what an extension might look like.”

Last week, former sports agent and CBS Sports lead analyst Joel Corry masterfully broke down the leverage Jackson again holds over the franchise with his 2026 and 2027 cap hits being unworkable for the organization.

The Ravens have more urgency for a new deal than Jackson although he has dropped to the NFL's 10th-highest-paid player after Brock Purdy's recent five-year, $265 million contract extension, averaging $53 million per year, with the San Francisco 49ers. Patience can be Jackson's best friend because his salary cap number jumps from $43.5 million in 2025 to an unmanageable $74.5 million in 2026 and also in 2027. The $74.5 million is 2026's third highest cap number.

Fortunately for Jackson, Harbaugh conceded at the league meetings that Jackson was going to be put back at the top of the NFL salary hierarchy with his next contract. "The value is the top," Harbaugh said. "When Lamar gets paid, he's going to be the highest-paid player in football, just like he was last time. I think every contract he signs till he decides to hang up his cleats, he's going to be that guy."

These dynamics give Jackson, who represents himself and has never had an agent, significant leverage in negotiations. He shouldn't think about twice about using the existing circumstances to his advantage.

As Corry pointed out, Jackson just finished the second year of a five-year, $260 million contract signed with the Baltimore Ravens on May 4, 2023. Of this, $185 million is guaranteed, of which $135 million was fully guaranteed at signing.

As of this article, Jackson is the 10th highest-paid quarterback in the NFL after Brock Purdy's new contract.

Corry highlighted that based on recent trends with Dak Prescott and Josh Allen, Jackson can justify $65.5 million to $67 million per year" for a contract extension he signs in the coming months. With inflation and an adjustment for the 24.2% increase of the salary cap since he signed in 2023, Jackson could command upwards of $64.5 million per year.