OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The best news coming from Lamar Jackson’s first press conference since January was the superstar quarterback revealing he had dialogue with the Ravens about his long-term contract status this week.
Jackson said the sides are “keeping it private” while falling back on his “having conversations” line multiple times to answer questions related to his contract, but renewed communication is certainly a positive development after hearing general manager Eric DeCosta and the Ravens brass describe his reluctance to engage in extension talks this offseason. Asked point-blank if he expects to finish his career in Baltimore, the 25-year-old answered, “I expect so. Yes, I do.”
Beyond those morsels of good news, however, much of what Jackson said was open to interpretation with both fans and skeptics likely hearing what they wanted to hear at different points of his 10-minute media session. If a long-term deal were still the formality many assumed it would be a year ago, we wouldn’t still be talking about this so many months later. But that doesn’t mean Jackson won’t end up leading the Ravens for many years to come, especially with Baltimore having use of the franchise tag when his contract is scheduled to expire next March.
Still, why wouldn’t he engage in extension talks earlier this offseason?
“I was away, and I just wanted to grind,” Jackson said. “That’s why.”
As we’ve said for a long time now, the situation is complicated, especially with one of the NFL’s brightest stars not employing a certified agent to negotiate a deal on his behalf. And while Jackson did his best to say as little as possible about his contract on Thursday, some of his answers led to more questions.
After saying his decision to skip voluntary spring workouts wasn’t related to his contract, Jackson shot down the notion that he shouldn’t step on the football field without a long-term extension, saying he didn’t “buy into it at all.” But he later declined to say whether he’d play Week 1 without a new deal, saying only that “we’re in conversation right now.” Jackson was asked again several moments later whether he’d be at training camp and play Week 1 without a new contract.
“We’re having conversations about it,” Jackson said. “I don’t know.”
To no surprise, that answer garnered the most attention, but those downplaying it as a rote response to multiple contract-related questions could easily point to Jackson’s attendance at mandatory minicamp this week or his plans to work out with his receivers at Florida Atlantic before training camp as reason to assume he won’t be holding out. Even so, the follow-up question was asked as directly as possible (see below) with Jackson declining to give a simple yes or no to remove any doubt.
Jackson said Deshaun Watson’s guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract hasn’t impacted his expectations for his own deal, insisting he’s “a man of my own” who doesn’t “worry about what those guys get.” But he also dismissed any idea that he feels he needs to win a Super Bowl to help validate a lucrative contract, a theory shared by Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti in late March.
The 2019 NFL MVP and two-time Pro Bowl selection knows he’s more than deserving of an elite deal without a championship.
“I think so. I still want my Super Bowl though,” Jackson said. “But I think I’m worthy [of] it — yes, sir, I do.”
While Jackson admitted he was “kind of hurt” over Marquise Brown’s departure, he said he’s “very eager” for the upcoming season and even more excited than he was in 2019 when he won the league MVP award and the Ravens set multiple records on their way to a franchise-best 14-2 mark. That said, Jackson claiming he didn’t really remember Brown expressing frustration about the Baltimore offense is difficult to believe when considering their close friendship and the comments the ex-Ravens receiver has made since being traded to Arizona in late April. That Jackson abstained from working with offensive coordinator Greg Roman and quarterbacks coach James Urban this spring and worked with private coach Adam Dedeaux only fans flames of the speculation regarding his own feelings.
All in all, we didn’t learn much from Jackson himself after months of everyone else — including the organization — trying to answer for him. That he said so little was neither surprising nor a negative for someone who keeps a tight inner circle.
The three-day minicamp was productive for him and the Ravens on the field with the quarterback looking sharp in his first practices in Owings Mills since last December. And though we don’t know how fruitful those contract “conversations” were, Jackson and the Ravens talking in the first place was a positive step after a dormant offseason on that front.
With training camp six weeks away, what happens next is up for interpretation.
