Lamar Jackson’s season should make QB-needy team sick. They could’ve had the MVP

Henry McKenna

AFC East Reporter

It’s hard to believe right now, but there have been multiple points in Lamar Jackson’s career when no one has seemed to want him. 

It’s hard to believe right now because he is the odds-on favorite to win the NFL MVP. He is arguably the best quarterback on the planet, and that makes him perhaps the most valuable commodity — both in fiscal and team-building terms — in the league. (Arguments could also be made for Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and a few others.)

But Jackson has hit multiple points in his career where the bulk of the league has evaluated him and rebutted with ‘no, thanks.’

The first time was back in the 2018 NFL draft, when 24 teams didn’t take him and quarterbacks Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Allen and Josh Rosen went off the board before Jackson.

The second time was in March when the Baltimore Ravens used the transition tag in their fight over leverage and a contract dispute. There was a running list of teams that made it clear they would not make a play for Lamar Jackson.

The New England Patriots were out on him because of the money he wanted, per a source. The Atlanta Falcons made it clear they were not pursuing Jackson. Surely, the Washington Commanders? Nope.

The Panthers and Raiders were the only ones to even inquire about Jackson, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. But even those two eventually made it clear they were out, per multiple reports. The Ravens’ team website kept a running tally of who was out on the QB.

The quarterback-needy teams let it leak that they didn’t want to add Jackson, and so the quarterback dealt with the transition tag — which Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert didn’t have to contend with. Jackson eventually signed a long-term deal with the Ravens: a five-year, $260 million contract.

It was a good deal. It didn’t break any records, which most QBs in Jackson’s situation would have done. Jackson doesn’t have an agent, so he negotiated on…

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Publish date : 2024-01-16 17:20:59

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