Lamar sets Week 1 deadline for extension agreement
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson plans to pause contract extension talks if a deal isn't reached by the start of the regular season.
"We're coming up to it. It's coming up," Jackson said when asked about a hard deadline Saturday, according to ESPN's Jamison Hensley. "The season's coming up. We're going to be good for the season."
Jackson added that it was "for sure" fair to say he wants clarity on his contract status by Week 1.
The 25-year-old doesn't have an agent and is representing himself in talks with the Ravens. He's currently set to earn $23.016 million in 2022 under the fifth-year option on his rookie deal.
Jackson previously shut down speculation in June that he could look to force an exit from Baltimore, saying he expects to spend his entire career with the AFC North club. He also confirmed negotiations were underway with the Ravens.
Talks between Jackson and Baltimore have seemingly been complicated by an ever-shifting quarterback contract landscape.
First, Green Bay Packers star Aaron Rodgers reset the top of the market with an extension worth $50 million per season. The Cleveland Browns then gave Deshaun Watson a fully-guaranteed $230-million deal. Most recently, Arizona Cardinals signal-caller Kyler Murray earned the second-highest annual salary ($46.1 million) and guaranteed money figures ($160 million).
Despite the lack of movement in talks with the former MVP, Ravens coach John Harbaugh believes a deal will get done in a matter of time.
"I'm very confident that it will get done when it gets done," Harbaugh said. "You can't really rush it. I don't think either side wants to rush anything; both sides want to be happy when it's all said and done, and probably both sides (will be) unhappy when it's all said and done, to some degree, right? That's kind of how it works."
Jackson missed five games last season and struggled to perform to his usual standards. He threw 13 interceptions and produced just 18 total touchdowns, a significant decline from his MVP-winning production in 2019 (36 passing scores against nine interceptions).