Every yr we’re reminded with completely zero uncertainty the NFL is ~a quarterback league~. This is a non-negotiable take. You have or you haven’t. And even when you could have, typically it is not sufficient. Just ask the Raiders, who shuffled Derek Carr into free company a yr right into a newly signed contract extension. Teams routinely pay outrageous costs when it comes to present and future draft capital to maneuver up and take a flier on an unknown commodity within the draft.
And but, when Lamar Jackson turned out there for any NFL staff through Baltimore inserting the non-exclusive franchise tag on their beginning quarterback … not one NFL staff is ?
This is a former MVP we’re speaking about, one of the vital electrical athletes in all {of professional} sports activities, a authentic franchise quarterback who turned 26 years previous in January.
We’ve by no means seen a case of a quarterback being dangled like this for all the quarterback-needy NFL to come back after him. This is a cutthroat league the place the margins are skinny and having a quarterback separates you, not simply within the skill to pursue a Super Bowl, but additionally in fan curiosity, each domestically and nationally.
The Carolina Panthers are largely irrelevant on a nationwide stage. The Panthers with Lamar Freaking Jackson? That’s a staff getting a number of prime-time video games yearly and the speedy favourite to win the NFC South. The very same case could possibly be made for the Atlanta Falcons. And, my goodness, Lamar recreating Vick 2.0 in some purple, white and black unis could be unimaginable.
We’ll be denied that aesthetic, nonetheless, as a result of Atlanta, very like Carolina — together with seemingly each different quarterback-needy staff within the NFL — simply is not excited by trying to even pursue Jackson. They’re not even going to test in and see what Jackson would possibly need.
The full lack of curiosity in Jackson is even wilder than Jackson being opened as much as your entire league for negotiation. And the explanation appears painfully apparent: NFL homeowners are adamant about squashing out the thought of quarterbacks getting absolutely assured contracts.
Jackson’s predicament was created when the Browns traded for Deshaun Watson and gave him a assured $230 million deal, regardless of Watson going through double-digit accusations of off-field sexual misconduct. As our personal Jason La Canfora reported in March 2022, the deal Cleveland proprietor Jimmy Haslam gave Watson drew the ire of principally each different NFL proprietor.
The Browns weren’t actually in on Watson till Haslam was prepared to interrupt rank — and precedent — and provides Watson a deal nobody else within the league was prepared to supply up.
Watson hadn’t performed soccer in effectively over a yr, required a number of excessive draft picks to accumulate, needed a monster contract extension and was coping with unprecedented off-field points. Yet the Browns have been in on him, as have been the Falcons and Panthers in response to loads of experiences.
Jackson is in the very same spot, solely he has been extra productive, has a greater damage historical past (Watson has a number of torn ACLs courting again to varsity), has an MVP and there is not any negotiation with the Ravens concerning the compensation if a suggestion sheet is signed.
Despite that, at least 5 NFL groups very publicly leaked out their lack of curiosity in Jackson with an unimaginable quickness. Following the Ravens saying on Twitter they have been tagging Jackson at 3:02 p.m. ET on Tuesday, we acquired a flurry of experiences from varied reporters.
The Falcons — a consensus greatest touchdown spot for Jackson — let Dianni Russini of ESPN know they have been out by 3:16 p.m. ET.
I am unable to even pick what I would like for lunch that quick, a lot much less make a franchise-altering choice. Jackson would THRIVE in Arthur Smith’s offense and make the Falcons instantly related, however positive. The Raiders shortly adopted go well with, letting it’s identified they have been “unlikely” to chase after Jackson.
Acknowledging Mark Davis seemingly would not have the liquidity to truly pay Jackson (extra on that in a minute) and ignoring what his father would have finished (commerce for Jackson in a freaking heartbeat), I’d wish to level out the one quarterback at the moment on the Raiders roster is Chase Garbers. I’d guess a minimum of 50% of the individuals studying this cannot be 100% positive if I made that identify up or not.
By 4:30 p.m. ET, the Panthers let it’s identified they weren’t seemingly within the Lamar Jackson enterprise both.
David Tepper has been rejected a number of occasions in an try and commerce for a franchise quarterback, together with Watson, Matthew Stafford and — not even joking right here — Carson Wentz. Lamar Jackson is on the block and he would not even wish to test in on what it would take to accumulate him? Again, positive.
The Dolphins acquired the phrase out as effectively, citing their satisfaction on the QB place with Tua Tagovailoa.
This could be cheap if there weren’t 1) medical considerations surrounding Tua’s future and a couple of) a persistent buzz about Tom Brady and the Dolphins consistently lingering.
Even Danny Snyder’s Washington Commanders don’t desire in on the Jackson biz.
I’ve coated the NFL in some capability for 15+ years. I’ve seen lots of bizarre stuff, even when you simply wish to slender it right down to Tag Day. One time the Broncos misplaced Elvis Dumervil as a result of they screwed up a fax to the league workplace. Never, ever have I seen an precise, authentic franchise quarterback come out there and have five-plus NFL groups *instantly* leak out their disinterest in him.
Either we’re all drastically undervaluing the considerations with Jackson or one thing else is afoot. So what are these considerations, precisely? Some of them are fairly viable, however I’m largely taking part in satan’s avocado within the curiosity of presenting either side.
Draft picks
Giving up a number of first-round picks isn’t one thing NFL groups wish to do. Two first-round picks for any NFL participant is a reasonably steep value, however it’s completely in step with what we have seen different franchise quarterbacks go for within the commerce market just lately. The Rams and Broncos gave up comparable hauls for Matthew Stafford and Russell Wilson. And this is not two firsts for a cost-controlled participant you’d get within the draft.
The contract
This is the massive one right here. Jackson, by all accounts, desires a completely assured deal. The Ravens selected to let the market inform him what his worth was and the market magically dried up! We will not ever know what he is perhaps prepared to take as a result of groups aren’t even floating out supply sheets. A completely assured deal would require matching each greenback in escrow (an antiquated rule from a time when not each NFL proprietor had a whole bunch of tens of millions of {dollars}), which is one thing even the wealthiest NFL proprietor would not wish to take care of (once more, extra on that in a second). If we’re speaking max ensures, that is a possible downside with the wage cap, regardless that the wage cap increasingly more seems to obviously be a delusion.
Lack of an agent
Jackson is representing himself. There’s nothing mistaken with that and I applaud his entrepreneurship. But not having an agent makes it tougher to get a deal finished. Agents are incentivized — each when it comes to their fame and financials — to get a deal finished. They’ve labored with most of those NFL groups earlier than and may speak their shoppers into taking sure offers. Jackson is steadfast right here. Good for him. It does make it harder for NFL groups in negotiations.
Scheme/match
Again, I’m simply mentioning doable arguments, so do not yell at me for this one. It is totally cheap for some NFL coaches, entrance places of work or homeowners to have considerations about fashioning an offense round Jackson’s specific skillset. I might inform anybody who makes that declare they are a coward and any coach price his salt might determine the way to make it work. Additionally, if a staff would not consider it is a quarterback away and is in the course of a rebuild, there is a cheap argument for not giving up the capital. Unfortunately, all of those groups have been aggressive in pursuing quarterbacks just lately. What modified?!
Injuries
Jackson has solely performed in 12 video games every of the previous two years. He performs a method of soccer that, due to his operating skillset, can justifiably be referred to as regarding for his long-term well being. He’s not constructed like Cam Newton or Josh Allen. If you needed to inform your self a narrative re: considerations for long-term well being, you could possibly do it. Maybe not an excellent story, however you could possibly deceive your self.
So …
What appears most definitely: NFL homeowners need Watson’s take care of the Browns to shortly develop into an outlier and really a lot not the norm. The Bengals and Chargers are going through monster extensions for Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert. Those two homeowners aren’t Tepper or a Wal-Mart inheritor. The liquidity to place $250 million (give or take just a few millies) in escrow over a five-year span is not straightforward, even for somebody price a billion {dollars}.
The franchise tag was designed by NFL homeowners to stop key gamers from turning into out there to the remainder of the league, particularly quarterbacks and really particularly younger quarterbacks on the finish of their contracts. Restricting participant motion was a trademark of NFL dynasties for years, till Reggie White busted free company open. You do not see a participant of this caliber hit the market. You simply do not!
The concept of Baltimore dangling Jackson to your entire league, and nobody having ANY INTEREST WHATSOEVER, is simply wild. A 26-year-old former MVP merely DOES NOT develop into out there within the NFL with no curiosity from different groups.
And not simply no curiosity however a really fast lack of curiosity from a number of groups who’ve been aggressively pursuing quarterback options for the previous 3-5 years.
There’s a nearly zero p.c likelihood of something taking place right here. Good luck proving a bunch of NFL homeowners do not wish to purchase Lamar Jackson merely to suppress a rogue contract given to a different participant in an identical state of affairs only a yr in the past. But that actuality makes much more sense than the thought of nobody even wanting to contemplate buying a 26-year-old former MVP.
