The Lamar Jackson saga has taken the NFL world by storm, leaving everyone bewildered and perplexed. The Baltimore Ravens played a genius move by putting Jackson on their non-exclusive franchise tag, giving him the freedom to explore free agency while still being tied to the team. However, the expected flood of offers seems to be drying up, leaving Jackson feeling bitter and frustrated.

As speculations run rampant, the league is left in a state of confusion, unsure of what will happen next. Amidst all the chaos, one NFL insider remains optimistic, hoping for a resolution between Jackson and the Ravens’ front office. Will they be able to come to an agreement, or will this be the start of a long and tumultuous journey for Jackson and the Ravens?

Rapoport optimistic about Jackson’s future

The National Insider for NFL Network, Ian Rapoport made an appearance on the Pat McAfee show. With Rapoport being hard at work, McAfee seemed more than eager to get a hold of the latest updates regarding Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. Fortunately, Rapoport came prepared.

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Rapoport felt that even though the negotiations had not reached a concrete conclusion, chances of the Ravens retaining Jackson were still high.

“The Ravens have been negotiating with him and he kind of reiterated on his trade request. That is where it stands, I know they wanna get a deal done. It does seem like his trade request is more like ‘I would like to get a deal done with the Ravens for the right amount and if that doesn’t work, then trade me’.”

Rapoport believes that Jackson does not harbor any hatred against the Ravens, and the relationship still holds strong. McAfee however disagrees with this take, as Jackson’s letters to his fans, “do not feel like that“. Rapoport expressed his optimism about Jackson extending his stay with the Ravens, “I have talked to a lot of people, kinda canvased the landscape. There are situations where theoretically I could see a deal getting done, like an opportunity for some teams. But to me the most likely is he comes back to the Ravens, his market seems to be the best with the Ravens.”

According to Ian Rapoport, teams are well aware of Jackson’s capabilities and his unique skillset. Still, the general consensus is of Jackson is perceived as the “Ravens guy“.

The never-ending standoff

It’s not like the Baltimore Ravens do not want to pay Lamar Jackson, the two parties just can’t seem to agree on a number. Earlier the Ravens wanted to extend Jackson’s contract with a $160-$180 million deal, but Jackson’s demands of a contract in line with Deshaun Watson’s five-year fully guaranteed $230 million derailed the negotiations. Since then, Jackson has refused to budge from his demands and so have the Ravens.

With the NFL draft knocking at the doors, Jackson’s future seems to be up in the air, with teams pulling out left and right. Earlier the Indiana Colts were speculated as a potential landing destination for Jackson, but even those talks haven’t amounted to anything yet. With Jackson out on the market, the Ravens are betting on him returning to Baltimore for yet another year. The ongoing contract negotiations will sort themselves out if Jackson remains without an offer in the long run. However, next year the Ravens might face a similar crisis all over again.

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