The Cincinnati Bengals are probably more than happy to deal with Joe Burrow’s complicated extension this offseason when taking one look at the drama between the Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson.
Baltimore hit Jackson with the non-exclusive franchise tag before the deadline, a $32.4 million cap charge.
In short, that version of the tag means Jackson can still head to free agency and negotiate with other teams, even going so far as signing an offer from another team. The Ravens would then have five days to decide to match it or exit. If they say no thanks to whatever the other team offered, they get that team’s first-round pick this year and next year.
But right after the news of the tag went out, several of the very obvious teams thought to be in the running for Jackson very publicly said they were, in fact, not interested in Jackson.
That led to Bengals wideout Tyler Boyd tweeting this:
The ravens sabotaging 8
— Tyler Boyd (@boutdat_23) March 7, 2023
The Ravens could have prohibited Jackson from talking with other teams via an exclusive tag that cost $13 million more. They didn’t, almost daring another team to negotiate with a quarterback who speculation suggested wants a fully guaranteed contract like the one signed by Deshaun Watson in Cleveland. As an added bonus for the Ravens, if another team makes an offer, it means they don’t have to do the legwork of working out a deal — they just accept the terms and keep Jackson.
It’s a messy situation with no clear solution, with Boyd’s take on the matter certainly one of the loud elements making the rounds.
