Ravens Urged To Sign Lamar Jackson To Mega-Extension originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Baltimore Ravens are one of the few teams in football that would not trade their quarterback for anything. Lamar Jackson doesn’t just make the Ravens perennial contenders. He’s the engine of the offense and the biggest factor in forging Baltimore’s identity.
He’s also eligible for an extension, and after several quarterbacks have separated Jackson from the top of the market.
Jackson signed a five-year, $260 million contract that temporarily made him the sport’s highest-paid player. By average annual value, he now ranks 10th. Subsequently, a new deal could be signed before the season, rightfully putting him amongst the best-compensated passers in the NFL.
NFL Media recently urged the Ravens to sign Jackson to a massive extension, ranking him as the player most deserving of a raise.
“Jackson and Patrick Mahomes could probably hold a spot on top of this list forever — or at least for as long as they are playing football, no matter what their game checks look like,” Tom Blair wrote. “How much is too much to pay a walking, talking ticket to Super Bowl contention?”
Jackson almost won his third MVP in 2024 (he took home first-team All-Pro recognition), and it may have been his best season. In terms of passing production, it was easily his most impressive campaign.
Jackson logged his first 4,000-yard season in 2024. He led the NFL in touchdown percentage, yards per attempt, passer rating, and quarterback rating.
His athleticism under center is unparalleled, making Baltimore’s ground game as dangerous as its aerial attack. No passer has more gravity, giving him a skill set only constrained by market tradition and the salary cap.
“Every team is chasing exactly this kind of superpowered generational QB, but most will never get close to rostering one. That feverish pursuit has helped inflate the quarterback market to the point that, somewhat ludicrously, nine signal-callers are paid more per year than the two-time MVP.
“The game of Highest-Paid-Player Hot Potato often, of course, seems to be driven more by timing than merit, but this discrepancy is begging to be corrected with a new deal for one of the top talents in football. Hopefully, Baltimore’s willingness to publicly discuss the topic is a sign that balance will be restored soon — and with fewer bumps on the road to resolution than we saw last time.”
If there were any doubts about Jackson’s worthiness the last time around, he obliterated them with back-to-back MVP-caliber campaigns. Jackson has shown no signs of slowing down, and as he grows into one of the game’s best passers, Baltimore can feel even more confident in ensuring he is around for as long as possible.
It’s only a matter of time before the Ravens make Jackson the highest-paid player in the sport for the second time.
Related: Lamar Jackson Is Too Good To Lead NFL in Passing
Related: Ravens Won’t Play Games With Potential Lamar Jackson Extension
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 8, 2025, where it first appeared.