As the Green Bay Packers stared at their crossroads with Aaron Rodgers a year ago, the impasse was reportedly about anything but his contract.
Rodgers wanted more communication with the front office, more involvement in planning the team, and more respect for the core veterans who built the culture. All that, plus one gigantic sideline for the reigning league MVP: A revised contract that made him Green Bay’s undisputed starter for at least the 2023 season and the distinction of being the highest-paid player in the NFL. When it was all over, the final record was undeniable.
What short-term promises the Packers front office couldn’t guarantee were met with flying colors by the long-term guaranteed money.
This is the formula that will solve the impasse between Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. Write it down. Laminate it. Visit again in weeks, months, years, no matter how long it takes to reach the inevitable number. That’s what last September was about. That’s what it’s about now. And that’s what will be at stake when Jackson ultimately plays the 2023 season under a franchise tag. Focusing it through anything else is a shell game revolving around the same problem.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh (left) said Thursday: “One hundred percent – you know, 200 percent. No question. Lamar Jackson is our quarterback.” (AP Photo/Rick Scutteri)
That should have been the conclusion of Thursday’s press conference, when Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and general manager Eric DeCosta reiterated what they had been saying since those negotiations began: They want Jackson as the Ravens’ long-term starting quarterback; they want to make a deal; and they’re in no hurry to publicly explain why it’s all taking so long.
Somehow, all of this was treated as telling news, even though it was precisely the stance the organization had taken from the start of negotiations. How confident is the team that Jackson is the future quarterback? Well, let Harbaugh throw in some rhetoric to make the point again.
“One hundred percent — you know, 200 percent,” Harbaugh said Thursday. “No question. Lamar Jackson is our quarterback. He was our quarterback. Everything we’ve done to build our offense and our team, how we feel in relation to the people around him, is based on this incredible young man and his talent and his ability and his competitiveness.
The story goes on
Yes, in case you forgot the platitudes about hard work, communication and optimism, there was no shortage of those on Thursday. Just as there was no shortage of window dressing issues, from Jackson’s input on the next offensive coordinator, to investing in the wide receiver’s depth map, to the surrounding offensive figures poised to compete.
Surely those are all good signs when it comes to the Ravens wanting Jackson back. But again, the franchise has never said it doesn’t want Jackson back. What the Ravens have said – repeatedly – is that this is a tough negotiation going on. That the two sides have not reached an agreement. And that some contract talks are more difficult and time-consuming than others.
Thursday was truly a one-sentence press conference that could have ended with DeCosta’s first line about his confidence in getting Jackson’s extension: “It sure takes two to tango.”
Exactly there. That’s it. That’s the message this is in the same place as it was from the start, with two sides staring at each other trying to figure out the exact contract number and the guarantees that will keep Jackson in the herd for the long term.
The ways to solve this problem are as simple as August. Baltimore can meet Jackson on the total guaranteed amount he’s seeking, or Jackson can soften his stance on how close he gets to a fully guaranteed deal. If neither happens, franchise tags allow Baltimore to seek continued control of Jackson’s future, and he can either ride along or refuse and force a deal.
This has always been the way forward, with various bridges to cross along the way. This week negotiations pick up where they left off. Next month will open the window for the team to tag Jackson with either the exclusive franchise tag (possibly resulting in a salary of around $45 million) or a non-exclusive tag (expected to be around $32.5 million ) to provide. The exclusive tag would mean Jackson can only deal with the Ravens. The nonexclusive tag would result in Jackson being allowed to negotiate a free agent contract with other teams and Baltimore then being able to match the deal or receive two first-round draft picks as compensation.
This tag window opens on February 21st and extends through March 7th. If the two sides haven’t renewed by then, Jackson will definitely be tagged. That’s a foregone conclusion.
Once marked, the burden shifts to Jackson, who makes a decision about what the move means and how to respond. Would he refuse to immediately sign an exclusive tag and stay away from the team for the entire offseason? Probably yes. Would he negotiate a deal with another team when strapped with a non-exclusive franchise tag? Also probably yes. Does this all come to a meaningful crossroads? Absolutely.
One way or another, we’ll find out just how insurmountable the chasm is between Jackson and the Ravens. Either by using a specific tag or how Jackson responds to it. The key exit is no greater mystery than it was when negotiations broke down last September.
This goes down Rodgers Road. There will be many sideshows, resolutions and platitudes about what is important. Money remains the main attraction. As it always was.