The Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson are heading toward contract negotiations.
They're pretty much inevitable at this point. His cap hit rises astronomically this offseason, and the best way to navigate that will be to get another extension agreed upon with Jackson.
But for how much? And will the sides be close, or will there be contention? That's stuff that doesn't appear to be known yet.
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ESPN's Jamison Hensley provided an update to Jackson's contract status as part of a new article on Tuesday, but it mostly is information that Ravens fans already know:
Jackson's salary cap number skyrockets from $43.5 million in 2025 to $74.5 million next year, which makes reducing this hit the priority for Baltimore. The Ravens acknowledged last offseason that they had internal discussions about a new deal for Jackson, who represents himself. What will it take to get a new contract? Last March, coach John 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, probably until he decides to hang up his cleats, he's going to be that guy."
Currently, the highest average salary for a quarterback is the $60 million earned by Dak Prescott from the Cowboys.
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Patrick Mahomes' most recent contract had a total value of $450 million, and Josh Allen's most recent contract had a total value of $330 million.
Jackson clearly isn't going to be lacking for a payday. But depending on how much he's seeking, the negotiations could either run smoothly or get a little choppy.
There is pressure on the Ravens to get something done, though, because that $74.5 million cap hit next season is pretty much impossible to manage.
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