Lamar Jackson Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

It’s very clear that the Carolina Panthers are in need of a quarterback. And after the team traded up in the upcoming 2023 Draft to secure the No. 1 overall pick from the Chicago Bears, it’s become pretty clear that they intend to choose a quarterback with that pick. But that doesn’t mean they didn’t consider pursuing Lamar Jackson, instead.

During a press conference on Monday afternoon, Carolina Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer was asked about the possibility of pursuing Lamar Jackson to solve the team’s quarterback concerns. And while he admitted that when a quarterback like that comes available, “you always have the conversation,” the ultimately decided to pass.

“Like anything, you always have a conversation,” Fitterer said Monday according to Pro Football Talk. “But we were looking… He’s a great option — a really expensive option. But we’re focused on more of the draft picks at this point.”

With the Baltimore Ravens placing the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson, other teams were free to negotiate a contract with the former league MVP. But it appears most teams – if not every team across the league – has no plans of actually putting forth a legitimate effort to sign the quarterback.

[Pro Football Talk]