The Ravens are keeping quarterback Lamar Jackson in Baltimore -- at least for the time being.
The team used the non-exclusive franchise tag on the five-year veteran on Tuesday, opening the door for Jackson to test the waters of free agency by negotiating with other teams.
However, as per the terms of the non-exclusive tag, the Ravens will have an opportunity to match any offer sheet presented to Jackson. If they decline to match, they will be awarded two first-round draft picks from the signing team.
Th intriguing move could pave the way for Jackson to part ways with the Ravens -- the team that drafted him 32nd overall in 2018 -- amid a years-long impasse over a long-term contract extension.
Jackson has reportedly been angling for a fully guaranteed deal, on par with the one signed by Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson last offseason. The Ravens, reports say, are hesitant to go there.
Instead, Jackson is guaranteed a $32 million salary for the 2023 season, but there's a good chance he'll have a long-term deal in place by the summer -- either with the Ravens or another team. Talks can begin on Monday, when the new league year officially begins.
The news of the Ravens tagging Jackson immediately prompted speculation and reports about which teams might engage the 2019 MVP in contract discussions.
Interestingly, a trio of prospective suitors -- the Washington Commanders, Atlanta Falcons, and Carolina Panthers -- were quickly ruled out in separate reports.
As well, a handful of teams who don't possess first-round picks in each of the next two drafts were named -- the Rams, Dolphins, 49ers, Broncos and Browns -- though they could enter the mix after the upcoming draft, since they would then have first-rounders for 2024 and '25. Among them, only Miami has been mentioned as a potential landing spot in recent months.
Other potential landing spots could include the usual array of quarterback-needy franchises -- the Jets, Raiders, Buccaneers, Colts, and Texans, though the latter two, particularly Houston, are expected to address the position in the upcoming draft.
In any event, it appears that Jackson will try to use the open market to leverage the best deal possible, while the Ravens will then have to decide whether they agree with that valuation. In that sense, as ESPN's Adam Schefter noted, the sides have seemingly agreed to let the market "mediate their differences."
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