Baltimore, MD – June 4, 2025
Lamar Jackson has done everything the Baltimore Ravens asked of him—and then some. He’s won two league MVPs, led his team to consecutive AFC Championship appearances, transformed the Ravens into one of the NFL’s premier contenders, and redefined what it means to be a franchise quarterback in the modern game. And yet, somehow, he’s still not the highest-paid player in football.
That distinction belongs to Patrick Mahomes, who set the gold standard with a $450 million deal from the Kansas City Chiefs. But even that contract is beginning to feel outdated in a market that’s ballooned with each passing offseason. The surprising reality? As of June 2025, there are nine quarterbacks making more per year than Jackson, a man who last season became the first player in NFL history to throw 40+ touchdown passes and rush for over 900 yards in a single campaign.
“How much is too much to pay a walking, talking ticket to Super Bowl contention?” asked NFL.com's Tom Blair in a recent column. “Could any contract possibly ever match the value that Jackson and Mahomes bring to their respective franchises?”
That’s the central question now hanging over the Ravens front office—and one that’s growing louder by the week. Head coach John Harbaugh recently admitted the team has begun extension talks with Jackson, signaling awareness that the clock is ticking. But fans remember the rocky negotiations from Jackson’s last contract standoff, and any delay is sure to raise red flags.
The difference this time? Jackson's leverage is undeniable. He’s fresh off one of the most dominant statistical seasons in league history. His leadership, durability, and locker room presence have only solidified. And unlike in 2023, there’s no uncertainty surrounding his future. Lamar Jackson is the Ravens' identity.
“Jackson has transformed Baltimore into an AFC juggernaut while personally developing into a perennial MVP candidate,” Blair wrote. “Every team is chasing this kind of superpowered generational QB—but most will never get close.”
Yet despite all this, the Ravens haven’t yet put pen to paper. Is it the money? The timing? The cap gymnastics? Whatever the reason, it sends the wrong message—not just to Jackson, but to every player in that locker room.
The NFL is often a game of “who’s next” in terms of setting the financial bar. But in Jackson’s case, it should be about who’s best. And if Baltimore doesn’t act fast, they risk alienating the one player they can least afford to lose.
The longer Lamar waits, the more the football world starts asking the uncomfortable question: What more does he have to prove?
