Lamar Jackson hasn't felt the slightest bit rushed to negotiate a new contract with the Baltimore Ravens. And the former MVP quarterback hasn't respected speculation on the situation, as he tweeted on Wednesday that any rumors of him wanting to soon part ways with the team are false narratives.
Regardless of when contract discussions intensify, Jackson will at least know that his current head coach isn't going anywhere. The Ravens announced on Tuesday that John Harbaugh -- who's been at the helm since 2008 -- signed a three-year extension through 2025. It's a strong vote of confidence in the 59-year-old, and perhaps a signal that the franchise wants to keep Jackson thriving and competitive under the same leader.
"They missed their sweet-spot [in contract talks with Jackson]. That's just the reality," CBS Sports NFL insider Jason La Canfora explained to the Reiter Than You show on Wednesday. "The opportunity to get him for Josh Allen's money or slightly above it -- $45 million a year -- had they done something like that prior to the start of last season, I think it would've gotten his attention. Again, he doesn't use an agent -- it's a bit of a non-traditional contract.
"But it doesn't mean he's naïve. It doesn't mean he's not paying attention... He also isn't one who's going to go out of his way to engage, to tip his hand, to get involved in a whole lot of conversations with the GM about his contract and future... He knows that, the better he plays, the more money he makes. And quarterback salaries always go crazy, and now they're crazier than ever before. So, it's a bit of a perfect storm for the Ravens."
Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti addressed Jackson's approach to negotiations at the league meetings on Tuesday, telling reporters that their circumstances have been "unique as hell." Although he isn't worried about Jackson's future, Bisciotti did admit that Deshaun Watson's new $240 million, fully-guaranteed deal with the Cleveland Browns will make contract talks difficult with others.
Despite his list of achievements at such a young age, Jackson's production level in 2021 was far from eye-popping. To his standards, the campaign was subpar -- he threw for 2,882 yards with 16 touchdowns and a career-high 13 picks. The 25-year-old also missed the final four weeks of the season due to an ankle injury, and failed to produce a third consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season (767 yards on 133 attempts).
Jackson is currently set to play next season on a $23 million fifth-year option. His market value is currently listed at $215 million across five years, according to Spotrac, and with an average salary of $43.1 million, this type of deal would make him the NFL's second-highest paid player. For comparison, Buffalo Bills stud quarterback Josh Allen signed a six-year, $258 million deal last summer, and his AAV is nearly identical.
The entire NFL conversation between La Canfora and Reiter can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Reiter Than You show on Twitter @sportsreiter and @CBSSportsRadio, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin