Lamar Jackson’s 5-year, $260M deal makes him NFL’s highest paid player

It’s time to celebrate because the MVP is coming back, Baltimore. A deal for a five-year extension between Lamar Jackson and the Ravens got reached.

On the first day of the 2023 NFL Draft, after roughly two years of talks, an agreement finally got reached. Jackson will reportedly become the highest-paid player in NFL history thanks to the first-round “pick” the Ravens and their supporters have been hoping for.

According to reports, his contract is worth $260 million, or $52 million annually. It surpasses the five-year, $255 million (or $51 million annually) extension that Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts recently signed. According to reports, Hurts received $179, while Jackson received $185 in total guarantees.

Not long ago, talks seemed to be at a standstill, but the Ravens persisted in their resolve to settle with their star quarterback, who is 26 years old.

On March 2, according to Jackson, he put in a trade request.

He received the non-exclusive franchise tag from the Ravens on March 7, enabling him to speak with other teams. Jackson made his trade request public exactly one month prior on March 27.

The Ravens kept trying to re-sign their former MVP, but no offers got reportedly made or trades suggested.

Jackson appeared pleased when Odell Beckham Jr. got signed by the Ravens two weeks ago.

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They immediately struck up a conversation. Hurts and the Eagles reached an extension on April 17, which aided in establishing the parameters of the star quarterback market.

Baltimore upgraded the weapons surrounding Jackson aggressively this offseason, and it will likely do so again in the draft. With Jackson in charge, the Ravens’ offense is moving in a very different direction, thanks to that and the hiring of Todd Monken as the new offensive coordinator.

Regarding Jackson’s talent, there is no question. The past five seasons have seen the Ravens rank among the top teams in the league, thanks in large part to one of the most exciting and successful quarterbacks in the league.

Only Roger Staubach, Tom Brady, and Patrick Mahomes have a better record than Jackson’s 45-16 (.738), which ranks him as the fourth-best quarterback to make his Super Bowl debut. Following an extraordinary 2019 season, he was named the NFL’s undisputed MVP. In Jackson’s absence, the Ravens have performed poorly the past two seasons, going 3-9.

The Ravens now have their focal point in Jackson, who will likely stay in Baltimore for the foreseeable future and will attempt to overcome the last obstacle. Jackson has another five years to assist in bringing Baltimore its Super Bowl, as he pledged when he was selected five years ago.