$750,000 Blow ‘Nothing’ for Lamar Jackson as Shannon Sharpe Supports Ravens QB’s Absence From the OTAs

Lamar Jackson has evidently been anticipating the upcoming NFL season. Ever since the Ravens franchise QB  lost to the Chiefs in the playoffs, he has admitted to having a “chip on his shoulder” and aiming for a Super Bowl. Most likely this is the reason why Jackson has been working out and trying to improve. However, his recent absence from the voluntary OTAs has resulted in a blow of $750,00 for the same.

Since the news concerning this possible loss has come forth, it has become a topic of contention in the NFL town. Recently, analyst Shannon Sharpe and co-host Chad Johnson also put forth their two cents concerning the same in the latest episode of their podcast Nightcap. “I don’t have a problem with it at all, obviously, because of how much he is making, losing that 750 to be there for OTAs and voluntary workouts, it’s really nothing to or for him,” said Chad Johnson.

After all, the professional is in a million-dollar contract with the Ravens, making him one of the highest-paid NFL QBs right now. Not only that, Jackson’s absence from the voluntary OTAs was supported by the former professional Shannon Sharpe. “He probably feels the same way. I’ve been reading reports. He’s down 20 pounds from where he was last year. He feels better. He feels stronger, faster. Got no problem,” mentioned Sharpe.

Sharpe cited the example of his career in the league and said that he won’t miss out on a $750k paycheck, but an amount of $25k-$50k still leaves room for relaxation. Meanwhile, Chad Johnson added, “Knowing Lamar, what is he doing here? Oh, he’s training. Oh, he’s working crazy, you know? And listen when it’s time to be there, when it’s mandatory, or for minicamp, he will be there, he will be in shape.”

Despite such positivity and backing from Johnson and Sharpe, the Ravens head coach, John Harbaugh hasn’t directly commented on Jackson’s absence. He has not unfolded any reasons behind the same and seems to want to keep hush about his players’ affairs.

John Harbaugh also addressed all the noise around Lamar Jackson in a recent presser

Per Mike Florio, the 2x MVP’s $260 million extended contract entails that to make that $750k bonus, he has to show up for 80% of the voluntary OTAs because the mandatory workouts don’t count against the bonus. Apparently, Jackson has missed out on one too many workouts to fulfill his end of the bargain. He can earn the same bonus by participating in the voluntary OTAs in 2025, 2026, and 2027. However, his compensation will drop to $31.75 million from $32.5 million this year.

When John Harbaugh was asked about the same, he chose not to divulge the reason for Lamar’s absence by saying “It’s just this time of year.” But Jackson’s presence is a huge morale booster for the team, especially for the rookies who would get perspective from an accomplished quarterback on how to proceed in their career and it would also give Jackson a chance to be a mentor.

“It’s really not something that we comment on,” Harbaugh said. “We can’t, and that’s just the time of year it is. So, I can’t speak for anybody that’s not here. I pretty much know the different reasons guys aren’t here most of the time, but not always.” He also added, “Nobody’s required to tell you exactly what’s going on, so I’m not really specifically going to be able to comment on anybody that way. But the guys who were here were great, flying around, and those are the guys we had a great time coaching.”

Thus, for now, there is no confirmation on why the quarterback isn’t present for the voluntary OTAs. However, he has been active this off-season, attending the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 and even the Preakness Stakes. Nonetheless, Lamar Jackson will most likely have to show up at the start of the mandatory minicamp which is from June 11-13.