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The Ravens appear to have offered Lamar Jackson a pair of fully guaranteed contract extensions before he signed his current deal

The Baltimore Ravens have been busy working to upgrade their roster around superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson this offseason. While they may have to begin worrying about a new deal for Jackson in the near future, the primary objective so far has involved making his life easier when he returns to action in 2026.

Jackson is currently set to enter the fourth year of a five-year, $260 million contract extension he signed back in April 2023. The Ravens’ negotiations with Jackson on this deal were included as part of a grievance filed by the NFL Players Association on behalf of the star quarterback, and the initial findings have revealed some surprising details when it came to Baltimore’s efforts to lock up its two-time MVP passer.

Ravens Offered Lamar Jackson Two Fully Guaranteed Contract Extensions

Since getting selected with the No. 32 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Jackson has turned himself into one of the most accomplished quarterbacks of his generation. Jackson has helped usher in a new era of dual-threat quarterbacks in the NFL, with his ability to create plays with his legs on the ground turning the Ravens’ offense into one of the most lethal units across the league.

In his first full season as a starter in 2019, Jackson won the league’s MVP Award, which helped him earn his aforementioned contract from Baltimore. Jackson would win the award again in 2023, and at this point, the only thing left for him to really accomplish is winning a Super Bowl, which has been easier said than done.

As part of the NFLPA’s grievance, intimate details on the Ravens’ negotiations with Jackson on his current contract have been made public, and some surprising information was revealed. Perhaps the most shocking of the bunch was the fact that Baltimore offered Jackson two fully guaranteed three-year deals, but for whatever reason, he rejected both offers.

“In two different portions of page 14 of the decision, the three-person panel writes that the Ravens twice offered three-year, fully guaranteed contracts to Jackson. Jackson declined both of them,” Florio reported.

Ravens Have More Contract Drama to Figure Out with Lamar Jackson

GettyLamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens celebrates the touchdown of Patrick Ricard #42 of the Baltimore Ravens during the fourth quarter against the Buffalo Bills at M&T Bank Stadium on September 29, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

The specific details of what the Ravens offered Jackson on these deals are unknown, but if he was offered a reasonable amount of money, it would seemingly have made more sense for him to accept one of those deals. Instead, the two sides ended up agreeing on their current five-year deal, which was obviously not fully guaranteed.

Now, Baltimore has to head back to the negotiating table with Jackson, as he’s due for a new contract. The Ravens already restructured Jackson’s contract earlier this offseason, so the urgency to get this done isn’t where it initially was, but this is likely something that will get tackled after the 2026 NFL Draft. Even with a new regime taking over, that won’t change the team’s stance on Jackson, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a new deal get hammered out soon.