- Lamar Jackson is playing out the end of his rookie deal with the Baltimore Ravens.
- After leading the Ravens to a road win over the Buccaneers on Thursday, Jackson grabbed a sign from a fan in the stands that was encouraging Baltimore to pay the QB.
- Jackson autographed the sign for the fan and jogged off with a smile.
Lamar Jackson is still playing like an MVP.
On Thursday night, Jackson led the Baltimore Ravens to a comeback win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, erasing a 10-3 halftime deficit to leave Tampa with a 27-22 victory.
Jackson’s performance in the second half was one of his best of the season so far.
—The Athletic (@TheAthletic) October 28, 2022
As Jackson walked off the field after the win, a fan in the stands passed down a sign that encouraged the Ravens to reward Jackson with a new contract.
Jackson smiled, and autographed the sign before passing it back up into the stands.
—Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 28, 2022
Jackson is still currently playing on his rookie contract.
Though now eligible for an extension, Jackson, who acts as his own agent, and the Ravens couldn’t come to an agreement before the start of the season. Jackson said he would table negotiations until the season was over, which was a high-risk, high-reward call to make.
The risk: If Jackson has a weak season or suffers any sort of career-altering injury — a reality that is never too far from NFL quarterbacks — the Ravens would not be compelled to pay him.
The reward: If Jackson keeps playing at an MVP level, the price of his next deal only goes up and up and up and up.
As things stand, Jackson is bringing the latter reality into fruition.
