Lamar Jackson and his second contract will be one of the biggest storylines of the NFL off-season. Whether the Baltimore Ravens extend, tag, or let the 2019 NFL MVP walk will be one of the most consequential decisions of the year and perhaps the future as well. One NFL insider said he believes the team will end up tagging Jackson.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network went on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday to chat about various things. Jackson and his due contract came up in discussion. Rapoport then said he thinks Baltimore will hit their star quarterback with the exclusive franchise tag.
“‘My sense is that Lamar Jackson will get the exclusive franchise tag from the Baltimore Ravens’ ~ @RapSheet” tweeted Pat McAfee.
"My sense is that Lamar Jackson will get the exclusive franchise tag from the Baltimore Ravens" ~ @RapSheet#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/Nyqw0Hjd2l
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 31, 2023
“Lamar Jackson is gonna be tagged,” Rapoport predicted. Pat would ask the NFL insider if it was going to be an exclusive tag or not, to which Rapoport responded, “I don’t firmly know the answer. My sense is it would be the exclusive.”
“Because here’s why,” he explained. “If they give him the non-exclusive tag, then someone can sign Lamar Jackson to an offer sheet and get him with the price of two first-rounders. If it’s exclusive, it costs Baltimore more. However if at some point, they ever want to trade him, they set the price. It would be more than two first-rounders. If they get the exclusive tag, it basically raises the price in the event of a trade. Which I don’t think is gonna happen.”
There’s no telling what will happen here, but this saga figures to be nowhere near its end yet.
