Ravens, Lamar Jackson Will Not Reach Extension Agreement Prior To Week 1

The matter of a Lamar Jackson extension has been a talking point throughout the Ravens’ offseason. Efforts to work out another big-money deal were made, but at no point did it seem as though an agreement was imminent.

Jackson will not have an extension in hand for tomorrow’s Week 1 game, as first reported by Jonathan Jones of The Athletic. A deal being struck during the 2026 season is unlikely, he adds. As a result, Jackson’s contract status is set to linger into next spring.

Baltimore’s preference was to work out an extension during the 2026 offseason and in doing so lower Jackson’s cap hit for the coming campaign. Instead, a restructure took place which created breathing room in the short term but inflated the two-time MVP’s 2027 cap charge to an untenable $84.34MM. An extension will become even more important from the team’s perspective ahead of the ’27 campaign, but Jackson’s pact contains no-tag and no-trade clauses.

Leverage lies squarely in the hands of the player in this case, something which will no doubt be a key factor during future negotiations. Jones and ESPN’s Adam Schefter write the Ravens are willing to make Jackson the league’s highest-paid player on a third NFL contract. Per Schefter, though, no “substantive, significant” talks occurred throughout this past offseason on the topic of another massive pact.

Tension between Jackson and the Ravens has not been witnessed over the past several months. Indeed, Jones adds the plan for both parties seems to be for a continued relationship well beyond 2026. Baltimore general manager Eric DeCosta has repeatedly expressed optimism about a deal being worked out at some point. Nevertheless, the wait on that front is set to continue until the QB market no doubt experiences another spike next offseason.

Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and the passers from the 2024 draft class will all be eligible for new deals in the spring of 2027. Extensions on those fronts could help increase the earning potential for Jackson, 29, as a candidate for $70MM per year. Of course, how the 2026 campaign plays out will go a long way in determining the success of contract talks in his case.