Lamar Jackson Requested A Trade Out Of Baltimore Ravens……..
A year ago, Lamar Jackson publicly requested a trade, sending the Baltimore Ravens club into a spiral.
One $260 million reconciliation and an MVP season later, Ravens coach John Harbaugh is still checking in to see if Jackson wants to stay. Harbaugh jokingly texted Jackson on Monday to make sure he didn’t receive any social media notifications from the NFL head coaches’ meetings.
Frustrated by the lack of movement in contract extension negotiations, Jackson went to X and formally requested a trade from the Ravens last March. The Ravens investigated the possibilities of a trade, but were surprised to find no bidders ready to give up the draft pick compensation and contract required to land Jackson.
In the end, the Ravens signed their franchise quarterback to a five-year, $260 million contract, including $135 million in fully guaranteed money. Jackson rewarded Baltimore’s faith with his second MVP season, throwing for 3,678 yards and 24 touchdowns to seven interceptions while also rushing for 821 yards and five scores.
The Ravens again fell short of their goal in the playoffs, losing 17-10 to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, but they’ll enter into the 2024 season expecting to compete for a Super Bowl.
“I’m not frustrated at all,” Jackson told reporters following the loss to Kansas City. “I’m angry because I lost. We are one game away from the Super Bowl. We’ve been waiting for this opportunity for a long time, and we came up short. But I believe our club will improve this offseason, get right, grind harder, and aim to be in this position again—but on the opposite side of victory.”
Baltimore has won at least ten games in four of Jackson’s five seasons as the primary starter. The Ravens are 58-19 overall with Jackson as their starter. They’ll enter next season with another superstar on the squad at running back, having signed Derrick Henry to a two-year contract earlier this month
