Is there a conspiracy to limit the market for Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson?
According to longtime sports reporter Trey Wingo, the NFL Players Association is "keeping a very close eye" on the Jackson situation regarding "the C word" -- collusion.
After years of haggling with the Ravens over a potential long-term contract extension, Jackson, the 2019 NFL MVP, is finally on the verge of getting a small taste of the open market.
On Tuesday, Baltimore used the non-exclusive franchise tag on the five-year veteran, which will allow him to field contract offers from other teams. The Ravens would then have the chance to match any such offer, or, if they choose, allow him to accept it and receive two compensatory first-round draft picks in return.
One would think there'd be a somewhat robust market for Jackson's services, but soon after news broke that he had been tagged, reports began to surface that several presumed suitors were not interested -- including the Commanders, Falcons and Panthers.
The Miami Dolphins, too, are off the table at least through the upcoming draft by virtue of the fact that they don't own a first-round draft pick, and therefore wouldn't be able to surrender it to the Ravens as compensation for signing Jackson.
Just like that, it seemed Jackson's market had dried up, or at least taken a significant hit.
For ESPN football analyst Robert Griffin III, the apparent lack of interest in Jackson didn't "smell right."
Jackson's extension talks seemed to hit an impasse last offseason, when the Cleveland Browns signed quarterback Deshaun Watson to a fully guaranteed, $250 million extension after acquiring him via trade from the Houston Texans.
Jackson has reportedly been seeking a fully guaranteed deal of his own, but the Ravens are said to be hesitant to give him one.
Weeks after the Watson deal was finalized, Ravens owner Steve Biscotti even publicly griped that Watson's contract would make negotiations tougher for other teams.
So far, no other player has signed a guaranteed deal since Watson. Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson might have been in the position to command such an arrangement after being acquired by Denver last offseason, but he ultimately brokered a $242.6 million deal, of which $161 million is guaranteed.
So, it appears Watson's contract is the outlier, at least for now.
Whether that has come to pass naturally or by virtue of underhanded dealings appears to be of great interest to the players union.
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