Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was franchise tagged by the team on Tuesday, the final day of the deadline.
He #Crows have officially franchised QB Lamar Jackson, giving him the non-exclusive label. https://t.co/MXzOHvJbWI
The two parties did not reach a long-term agreement by the deadline, and Baltimore elected to use the non-exclusive label on Jackson.
Jackson will have the freedom to negotiate with the teams as part of the non-exclusive label. The Ravens have the opportunity to match any offer an opposing team makes, but if they decline, they will receive two first-round picks in exchange.
Right now, there are a lot of teams in need of QBs. The Seahawks, Saints and Giants are not three of those teams, having recently reached quarterback deals.
The Falcons ($66 million), Texans ($40 million), Raiders ($39 million) and Patriots ($32 million) could pay Jackson $45 million or more per year. The Falcons, Texans and Raiders are in the top five for the most cap space this season and next, and the Patriots are in the top 10 for salary cap this season and in the top five next season.
The Chicago Bears might even afford it, since they have the most cap space, but are invested in third-year quarterback Justin Fields.
Is there any team interested in trading quarterback Lamar Jackson from the Ravens?
While he was expected to generate strong trade interest, it appears that not many teams are interested in accepting Jackson. According to numerous reports, the Atlanta Falcons, Washington Commanders, Carolina Panthers, and Las Vegas Raiders are all out of Jackson.
The Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots and other teams have not been ruled out.
Since Jackson was tagged with the non-exclusive tag, it eliminated any chance for the Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, and Cleveland Browns. Teams submitting an offer sheet for Jackson must have a 2023 and 2024 first-round pick available.
Teams might stay away from Jackson because of what they would have to give for him.
A team that acquires Jackson would have to give up two first-round picks and would also have to pay him a lot of money to acquire him.
He has missed games toward the end of the past two seasons due to injuries and teams could be worried about his long-term health as he takes a lot of hits as a dual-threat quarterback.
It’s interesting to see that Jackson doesn’t have many teams interested in him, and it will be interesting to see if he ends up being a Raven this season.