Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson didn't win his third NFL Most Valuable Player award in 2024, but the irony there is that the 2024 season very well could have been Jackson's best work.

.Jackson posted career highs in a number of statistical categories, including quarterback rating (119.6), net yards per attempt (8.09), passing yards (4,172), and passing touchdowns (41). 

Sprinkle in a casual 915 rushing yards on the ground and Jackson was as prolific as he's ever been. A loaded skill group versus the one Josh Allen played with in Buffalo was, most likely, the biggest divider between the two for MVP voters this past year. Allen, fresh off his first MVP award, cashed in this offseason with a new contract extension that pays him $330 million across six seasons. 

Jackson now may be eying a chance to follow in Allen's footsteps. Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta shared earlier this month that the team had shared early talks with Jackson about a potential contract extension. Jackson has played just two years of his five-year, $260 million extension signed in 2023. 

"We've had some conversations before the draft, after the draft, in person last week… I think we're in the introductory sort of stage of looking at what an extension might look like." – Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta

Here's to the Ravens' next round of negotiations going a little more smoothly than the first big contract extension did. But when you consider how good Jackson has been these past two years, and consider he actually ranked 17th among NFL quarterbacks in cash received in 2024, it may make some sense to reassess Jackson's standing among his peers from a compensation perspective. 

Lamar Jackson's Cash Owed & NFL Ranking Since 2023

– 2023: $80,000,000 (1st)
– 2024: $31,790,268 (17th)
– 2025: $42,750,000 (8th)
– 2026: $52,000,000 (5th)
– 2027: $52,000,00 (3rd)

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Jackson's ranking this season is set to be far more proportionate to his actual play than 2024 was, which was in part a byproduct of a whopping $72.5 million signing bonus when that deal was signed in 2023. As much as the cash schedule may be a motivating factor for Jackson in the bid for a new deal, the guarantees may be an even bigger piece of the puzzle. After 2025, Jackson will have just $29 million in guarantees remaining on his deal. 

The shifting quarterback market also skews the perception of Jackson's deal, as it averages $52,000,000 annually — a mark that ranks 10th among all active quarterback contracts. Names in front of him include Dak Prescott ($60 million), Jordan Love & Trevor Lawrence ($55 million), Tua Tagovailoa ($53.1 million), Jared Goff and Brock Purdy ($53 million), and Justin Herbert ($52.5 million). Annual average salary may be a skewed, antiquated scope to view contracts through, but it's the most popular measure. 

The two-time NFL MVP has, in this regard, fallen off the pace. The good news for Baltimore is that the floor is already set much higher for Jackson amid their negotiations than when he was playing on a rookie contract and the franchise tag. The distance needed to close should be much closer. 

And, with Jackson's hardware in tow, it shouldn't be hard to agree that the floor needs to sit just above Prescott's $60 million average. Baltimore has a lot of moving pieces with their roster, so if the team is going to successfully make Jackson the new annual average salary king at quarterback, it may behoove them to do so sooner rather than later before the divide widens, the ceiling swells and the cap endures another bump in 2026. 

Not to mention Jackson making another run at a deep playoff run and, potentially, another MVP award. 

Ravens welcome back All-Pro for workouts during final week of OTAs after recent absence

The Baltimore Ravens are conducting their final week of Organized Team Activities (OTAs) this week as the majority of the league is conducting mandatory minicamp. Baltimore's minicamp comes later this month, but one player who has been absent for most of the on-field workouts in Baltimore this offseason has made their return ahead of mandatory […]