At the 11th hour, the Ravens and their estranged quarterback have made peace. According to a report by Ian Rapoport at NFL Network, Lamar Jackson and Baltimore have agreed to terms of a new contract.
Jackson and the Ravens had been in a stalemate for several months, with Jackson even requesting a trade at one point.
Baltimore was always determined to keep him, though. They even went so far as to give wide receiver O’dell Beckham Jr. a one-year contract that included $15 million in guarantees.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll was asked about the possibility of trading for Jackson at one point this offseason, and he answered that the team couldn’t afford him. While we don’t have salary terms reported as of yet, fans can rest assured that is the case. Jackson’s contract will likely average over $50 million per season and come with a bare minimum of $100 million in guaranteed money.
Jackson is the second MVP quarterback to be traded this week. On Monday, the Packers sent Aaron Rodgers to the Jets in exchange for a big haul of draft picks.
As expected, Jackson’s new deal makes him the highest-paid QB in the league. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports it’s a five-year, $260 million contract with $185 million guaranteed.