After more than a year of speculation and negotiation, the Lamar Jackson saga has finally concluded. The Baltimore Ravens made him an epic $260 million offer he could not refuse. He has already established himself as the quarterback for the future of the franchise through his performances in the last five years. But that could have been a wholly different story if the QB had listened to the advice he got during the NFL Combine the year he came into the league.

Jackson came to the 2018 NFL Combine fresh out of the University of Louisville While playing for the Cardinals during his collegiate career, the QB won numerous honors, including a unanimous All-American selection. But he hit a roadblock of sorts on his road to the NFL with a suggestion. But he rejected the offer he could refuse.

Lamar Jackson knows who he is

Lamar Jackson came into the 2018 NFL Combine as one of the top QB prospects in the draft class. But many did not have faith in the dual-threat QB’s prospects in the league. During the Combine, a reporter asked Jackson for a reaction to people who advised him to change his position and play as a wide receiver to make it to the league. He had a simple answer to everyone who thought that way.

“No sir, I am a quarterback,” Jackson said to the press.

He refused to listen to any of the critics and went about it his own way. And contrary to the beliefs of his critics, Jackson made it big when the Baltimore Ravens took a chance on him and drafted him in the first round of that year’s NFL draft. He quickly made a name for himself, becoming the youngest QB to start in an NFL playoff game at the age of 21 the same season. Next year, he topped it with a league MVP award. He might have refused the offer, but he couldn’t do the same when the Ravens offered to make him the highest-paid QB in NFL history.

From doubts to the highest-paid QB

Lamar Jackson has proved everybody wrong in the last few years. He has become the mainstay for the Ravens, who didn’t want to let him go even after he made a trade request earlier this year. This happened after both the parties couldn’t reach an agreement for a contract extension. But then, something changed in the league.

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The Philadelphia Eagles gave Jalen Hurts a mega $255 million deal, making him the highest paid QB in league history at the time. That prompted the Raven to up their offer and give him a $260 million deal for five years, surpassing the numbers of the Hurts deal.

While Hurts would make up to $51 million-a-year, Jackson can earn up to $52 million. He also has a bigger component of his deal as guaranteed money at $185 million as opposed to around $180 million for the Eagles QB. So, from being asked to change positions to becoming the highest paid player in NFL history, Lamar Jackson has come a long way.

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