It took just one play for Lamar Jackson to land on injured reserve after coming back from the ankle sprain he suffered against the Tennessee Titans in Week 4 and that one play may have complicated his future with the Baltimore Ravens.

Jackson could very well miss the rest of the season. If that happens, he’ll have missed 26 games since the 2021 season (he sat out the 2023 finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers because the Ravens had already clinched the AFC’s No. 1 seed) and it would be the fourth season out of the last six where he’s missed at least four games.

Sure, the injury he suffered against the Buffalo Bills was more of a freak accident, than anything. But it doesn’t stop people from wondering where things go from here, especially when looking at the details of his contract and how they apply in 2027, which is the final year of his deal.

Lamar Jackson and the Ravens have a tough road ahead when it comes to navigating his contract

Assuming Lamar Jackson does not return this season, the Ravens will find themselves in a tough position in terms of finding exciting value for Jackson. His deal also contains a no-trade clause, so he has ultimate control of where he ends up (a no-tag clause also kicks in after the 2027 season).

Jackson turns 30 years old in January and will have missed essentially half of the games over the last two seasons after a one-play appearance against Buffalo in Week 8. Jackson has made massive leaps and strides as an operator within the pocket since arriving into the league — but part of what makes Lamar Jackson, LAMAR JACKSON, is the dual threat ability he brings and how prolific he can be as both a runner and a scrambler.

He is one of just three quarterbacks in league history with over 1,000 career rush attempts — he’s 18 away from tying Cam Newton for the most of all time. And while Jackson hasn’t taken hits like Newton has, we are seeing some durability concerns start to arise with Jackson as he touches 30 years of age.

How do you value that moving forward? What kind of future production can and should a team bank on? The only thing harder than finding the answer to that question might be “what value could/should the Ravens put on a new contract for Lamar this offseason?”.

Jackson’s still got all the arm talent in the world and given the scarcity of quality starting quarterbacks, there’s reason to bet the Ravens could get a meaningful bite. That is, of course, if they decide a transition behind center is the path they want to take.

It’s not any easy decision by any means — his greatness as a player is unquestioned. But the future has also never been more cloudy.

Lamar Jackson’s 2027 salary numbers will force a conversation about a new deal

Jackson signed a five-year, $260 million deal back in 2023, so 2027 is the final year of his contract. He’s set to make $51.95 million, a $51.2 base salary plus $750,000 in workout bonuses.

The big problem about how the deal was structured is that, right now, Jackson’s projected cap hit for 2027 is $84.3 million. By trading him, though, the Ravens would have to absorb $74.5 million in dead money. The contract was designed to force a new extension in 2027, which would prompt some cap savings moving money to future years.

In the case of a trade in March, the signing bonus and option bonuses would accelerate into 2027. The only alternative to make it more palatable would be executing the trade after June 1, so the acceleration wouldn’t come until 2028. That means his dead money for Baltimore would be $32.3 million in 2027 and $42.4 million in 2028.

The challenge here is that, unlike releases, there’s no post-June 1 designations for trades. So the Ravens would have to actually execute the trade after June 1, making a deal harder to pull off because acquiring teams want their quarterback in the building as soon as possible.

And again, there’s the no-trade clause. There may be suitors, but Jackson would have final say in where he goes.

Any potential acquiring team would have Lamar on a one-year, $51.95 million contract. It’s safe to presume that the new team would be willing to negotiate a contract extension with Jackson right at the time of the trade, even though the injury concerns should be a consideration.

So what should the Ravens do? Do they have enough trust he’ll stay healthy after signing another mega deal? They have one hand tied behind their back when it comes to an attempted trade and they’ll have to let him test the market if they let him play out 2027 as-is and can’t get a new deal done before 2028 free agency due to the no-tag clause.

So what should the Ravens do?

Evan: Obviously, a trade would be the preferred path but that’s hamstrung by the no-trade clause. Assuming the Ravens can’t find a destination Jackson likes, I think the Ravens should go ahead and cut bait via a post-June 1 cut and just take the hit in 2027 and 2028. There’s a good chance they finish 2026 with a poor enough record to get a high draft pick that gives them a shot at landing a top QB if they desire. You just can’t trust Jackson to stay healthy at this point and that kind of price tag is a major risk that could derail the Ravens’ roster construction and on-field success if the injuries continue as he gets older.

Wendell: For the Ravens, the most logical outcome is to try and reach a new contract extension for Lamar Jackson, at least a mid-term deal. That would allow the team to spread his cap hit, while keeping a quarterback who’s still capable of playing at an elite level. However, the Ravens have to find a way to include some level of injury protections on the contract. Whether it’s an incentive-heavy deal or strong per-game roster bonuses, Baltimore can’t ignore Jackson’s injury history anymore.

Kyle: The Baltimore Ravens have no shortage of options to manufacture salary cap wiggle room for 2027. And, with that in mind, we may be reaching a critical mass — I think the Ravens should seriously consider a fresh start, specifically if they can get 2+ first-round draft choices for Jackson. I would imagine Jackson would find a suitable partner on the market who is willing to meet his contract wishes — rendering his ‘no trade clause’ null. The one thing I think the Ravens should avoid more than anything is committing another big-money, long-term contract to the quarterback based on the past two seasons.