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Jamison Hensley, ESPN Workers Author
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Lamar Jackson formally signed his five-year, $260 million contract on Thursday, setting NFL data for signing bonus, three-year money move and common per season.
However Jackson revealed he has a extra formidable quantity in thoughts on this revamped Ravens offense.
“I need to throw for like 6,000 yards with the weapons now we have,” Jackson stated with amusing. “I am not a person award-type man or a stat watcher. I simply need to try this as a result of nobody has ever performed it and I really feel like now we have the weapons to do it.”
Jackson has by no means surpassed 3,200 yards passing in his profession, however he is clearly enthusiastic about Baltimore constructing the strongest broad receiver group of his profession. The Ravens signed Odell Beckham Jr. and Nelson Agholor in free company after which drafted Zay Flowers with the No. 22 general choose.
The ultimate piece for the Ravens’ passing assault was signing Jackson long-term. Based on a supply, he set new league highs in signing bonus ($72.5 million), most cash within the first three years of a deal ($156 million) and common per season ($52 million). Jackson additionally acquired no franchise tag and no-trade clauses, a supply instructed ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
This deal wrapped up 27 months of difficult negotiations between the Ravens and Jackson, who did not have an agent and represented himself. Jackson declined to speak about his commerce request from Baltimore in early March, saying he wished to concentrate on following by on his draft-day promise to ship a championship to the Ravens.
“I did not actually look after different groups, I wished to be right here. I need to be a Raven,” Jackson stated. “I stated one thing in 2018 and I meant that. I wished to get this performed earlier than my time [is] up and department off elsewhere. I actually need to end my profession right here and win a Tremendous Bowl right here.”
Jackson had lengthy sought to exceed the $230 million in assured cash that quarterback Deshaun Watson acquired from the Cleveland Browns final 12 months, in line with sources. However the Ravens insisted Watson’s deal was an outlier and never a precedent.
A supply stated Jalen Hurts’ deal, which included $179.5 million assured, bolstered the market worth for quarterbacks for Jackson. There was additionally the potential of Baltimore drafting a quarterback within the first spherical, which presumably would have ended contract talks with Jackson.
So, two days earlier than the draft final week, Jackson texted Ravens basic supervisor Eric DeCosta that he appreciated the language within the Ravens’ final contract proposal and thought they might get a deal performed.
“I completely wished to get it performed as a result of I used to be simply uninterested in going forwards and backwards about it,” Jackson stated. “We have been doing it for years, nevertheless it was just like the time had come. The numbers have been proper, and we have been all happy.”
Jackson, 26, turned across the Ravens after he was the final choose of the primary spherical within the 2018 draft, main Baltimore to the playoffs in his first three seasons. He was the unanimous choice for NFL MVP in 2019, when he led the league in landing passes (36) and set the league mark for many speeding yards by a quarterback (1,206).
His profession report of 45-16 (.738) is the fourth-best of any beginning quarterback to debut within the Tremendous Bowl period. Baltimore was 8-13 (.381) with out him over the past 5 seasons.
Whereas Ravens officers repeatedly remained optimistic that they’d signal Jackson, they acknowledged the negotiations weighed closely on the franchise.
“There was some darkish days. I imply it is not going to deceive you and say daily was nice, it has been an extended stretch,” DeCosta stated. “However we all know Lamar, we all know the type of individual he’s and he is an outstanding soccer participant. However you do not make an outstanding soccer participant, the best paid participant within the league. You make an outstanding soccer participant who’s additionally an outstanding individual, the best paid participant within the league. And so, we had plenty of conviction that this was the suitable factor to do.”
DeCosta complimented Jackson in how he represented himself in negotiations, calling him “affected person, demanding, trustworthy and easy.” However there have been prolonged durations when the edges did not speak.
“It wasn’t at all times straightforward,” DeCosta stated. “I would moderately cope with Lamar Jackson the participant, I feel, however in the long run, it was simply Lamar and I speaking, texting, emailing one another attempting to get a deal performed.”
Jackson is signed by 2027, however the sides may need to renegotiate the deal after the 2025 season when his salary-cap figures soar to $74.5 million. He plans to proceed to characterize himself sooner or later.
“I would not put my belief in anybody else however myself,” Jackson stated.
Jackson nonetheless has extra to attain. He is 1-3 within the playoffs, and he is regressed as a passer the final two seasons (33 touchdowns and 20 interceptions). Jackson has additionally missed 10 of Baltimore’s final 22 video games attributable to damage, though he stated he is absolutely recovered from his season-ending knee damage a month in the past.
However, after signing his report deal, he felt a way of accomplishment in going from a extremely scrutinized quarterback prospect in 2018 to the NFL’s highest paid participant in the present day.
“That is simply proving myself proper. It is about believing in your self on the finish of the day,” Jackson stated. “It doesn’t matter what I went by, irrespective of when it seemed like, my again was in opposition to the wall, when individuals have been doubting me much more than earlier than, I simply stored my religion with him and now we’re right here.”