Without a new contract, Lamar Jackson showed up for the Ravens’ minicamp.
Lamar Jackson is obviously a different animal, but he showed up to minicamp without having signed a long-term contract extension with the Baltimore Ravens.
In the 2018 NFL Draft, the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from Louisville was selected with the 32nd overall choice.
In four years, Jackson has earned the NFL MVP, led the Ravens to several AFC playoff appearances, and made everyone in Baltimore forget about Joe Flacco. But by taking a chance on himself during a contract season, he seems to be channeling his inner Joe Flacco.
Keep in mind that Jackson represents himself under his mother’s supervision. Big Truss is keeping things under wraps, but imagine how his “representative” would be behaving right now if he came up to minicamp without a long-term extension. He’s playing with fire, and if he’s not careful, he’ll get burned. This is his choice, but oh my goodness, it’s terrifying.
Surprisingly, Jackson is greeted by his Baltimore teammate Marlon Humphrey when he arrives at the Ravens’ minicamp in his fifth-year option season.
Lamar Jackson walked up to the Ravens’ minicamp without a contract, which is unheard of
Look. It’s possible that money isn’t what makes Jackson tick. He’s plainly allowing the current CBA and his 2018 draft spot to determine how much money he gets.
By all means, if he wants to go full Kirk Cousins and embrace the power of the franchise tag, by all means. His playing style, on the other hand, puts him more susceptible to a career-ending injury. Just ask Robert Griffin III if he agrees…
If Jackson has another 2019 season in him this fall and the Ravens are a complete train wreck, he will get paid like 2013 Joe Flacco, no matter how reluctantly he accepts it.
The issue is that nothing we’ve seen of Jackson’s play style inspires anyone outside of Maryland to believe the Ravens can win many postseason games with him at quarterback in the deep AFC.
So, here’s to Jackson proving everyone wrong… once more. He’s a phenomenal athlete and the most exciting quarterback I’ve ever covered at the collegiate level.
But this is the NFL, which stands for “Not For Long.” Jackson may be here to stay in the NFL, but the Ravens and their fans should be concerned if he shows up to training camp without a long-term deal in place.
He may prefer to let his performance speak for itself, but the stakes are too great to take such a risk.
