It’s official: Lamar Jackson is ready to leave the Ravens. Weeks after Baltimore used the nonexclusive franchise tag for the star quarterback, which allowed the former MVP to negotiate with other teams in free agency, Jackson announced Monday that he was seeking a trade from the Ravens in early March had.
Both sides had long publicly claimed that they preferred a long-term partnership, although a new contract could not actually be concluded. Ravens coach John Harbaugh even hinted Monday that he’s still confident Jackson will be center in 2023. And technically, Baltimore still controls Jackson’s rights this season; It can match any outside offer the QB might receive on the day, or rack up two first-round draft picks to let Jackson join a new club.
But now that the Pro Bowler has gone public with a desire to play elsewhere, it may only be a matter of time before the Ravens make trade requests. It’s possible, if not likely, that Baltimore could score more than two first-round winners — compensation for letting it go free — by selling it through a traditional trade.
Which teams are most likely to pursue Jackson? Here is our opinion:
If only they hadn’t already (unofficially) married Aaron Rodgers. Technically, yes, they could pull out of the Rodgers Sweepstakes, and they might be wiser betting on a former MVP at age 26 rather than one at 40. General Manager Joe Douglas even has a long history with the Ravens of fueling potential trade talks for Jackson. But with a playoff-ready roster and Rodgers already publicly investing in a move to New York, they’re as good as out of the running.
Before lining up for #1 draft, they courted Derek Carr and suggested they’re at least a little bit ready to consider the veteran route. Pairing Jackson with well-known QB whisperer Frank Reich — and an underrated supporting cast on both sides of the ball — would be a solid gamble in a winnable division. But they are certainly confident in going the rookie route at #1 where they have a choice of top prospects.
Like the Panthers, they’re logical candidates to stay pat and use their top draft pick (No. 2) to address QB, especially after adding so many year-old patches in free hands again. Chances are, whichever No. 1 prospect goes to Carolina, new coach DeMeco Ryans will inherit an enticing rookie signal caller. But with an additional first-rounder, they might be interested in adding more of a sure thing; Ryans didn’t rule out the possibility after hearing about Jackson’s trade request.
Kirk Cousins proved more resilient than usual under Kevin O’Connell in 2022, but he’s entering a contract year and has proven with his resume and reputation as a play-action pocket passer that he’s right in the middle class of the NFL’s QBs pass. Amid an overhaul of older, expensive veterans, young GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah feels like the kind of executive who will explore an unorthodox move to a playmaker like Jackson, especially when Minnesota isn’t well-placed to draft a top prospect. Adofo-Mensah has publicly considered Cousins’ future, and the Vikings have an elite weapon in Justin Jefferson to pair with such a dynamic QB.
They like Jared Goff well enough to keep him as an experienced placeholder/mentor and they are decently positioned to put his successor at the helm of the 2023 draft. But with additional picks from their previous Matthew Stafford trade, which obviously brought Goff to town, they’re also able to explore a big veteran splash. Imagine Dan Campbell’s energy paired with Jackson’s natural electricity on an ascending list in a potentially wide-open NFC North.
ESPN and NFL Media previously reported that Atlanta won’t be going after Jackson, but common sense says they should — and maybe reconsider. They still have plenty of cap place, they just added Taylor Heinicke at QB in free agency, and they may pick too late in the first round (No. 8 overall) to secure one of this year’s top prospects. A year after chasing Deshaun Watson, coach Arthur Smith enters his third season at the head of the staff with no apparent QB future.
Few franchises are exploring the QB veteran market faster, and while they’ve signed Jacoby Brissett on a modest deal to compete with 2022 rookie Sam Howell, they’re still sorely lacking in electric talent from under the middle. Coach Ron Rivera peaked in Carolina with a mobile QB in Cam Newton. They would offer Jackson at least one top-notch weapon in Terry McLaurin, as well as proximity to his existing Baltimore community. And they’re not great for drafting a QB early, either.
Tom Brady is retired “forever,” the Bucs aren’t fully pivoting into rebuild mode after three straight playoff runs, and Jackson would still have top guns like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, not to mention while he’s in his sunny home state. Yes, they’re struggling financially, but that hasn’t stopped them so far. And the low-cost investments in Baker Mayfield and Kyle Trask shouldn’t stop them from considering a much larger swing in the position.
Ryan Tannehill is under contract but he is very expendable after a disappointing injury-plagued season that saw GM Jon Robinson relegated. A full rebuild is on the horizon as franchise favorites like Derrick Henry are bought in, but with Mike Vrabel always on the hunt for the playoffs, a veteran swing may still be on the horizon. New GM Ran Carthon was part of the 49ers’ front office that relied on Trey Lance’s athleticism in the 2021 draft, which perhaps stylistically matched Jackson’s running-heavy approach.
Bill Belichick has lauded Jackson as MVP-level material, reset the offensive structure after the 2022 failures, reunited with coordinator Bill O’Brien and spoke about incumbent QB Mac Jones’ long-term job security. At 70, Belichick is certainly poised to make a win-now pivot after three lackluster seasons after Tom Brady. After doubling down on a run-heavy short-area approach by adding the likes of James Robinson, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mike Gesicki in free agency, the final piece of the puzzle could be a blockbuster QB addition.
Everyone, including and especially team owners, knows they need to stop the veteran QB carousel. But Jackson would make a sprightly long-term investment at just 26 years old. Rather, GM Chris Ballard and new coach Shane Steichen could use their draft positioning (No. 4 overall) to secure a young gun for his rookie deal and allocate other resources to the supporting cast. But since the Panthers’ jump to No. 1, they could be forced to embrace more of a raw development option, provided polished passers like CJ Stroud and Bryce Young are already off the board. That makes Jackson’s proven NFL talent all the more appealing.