The novel starring Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens has a new chapter. The franchise confirmed it will apply the non-exclusive franchise tag over the quarterback, just under an hour before the deadline. According to a report by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Ravens officially allow the player to negotiate with any other NFL franchise.
The Baltimore team decided to send the NFLPA a notification of Lamar Jackson’s non-exclusive franchise tag for $32.41 million. This doesn’t necessarily mean he’s leaving Baltimore because the team has the right to match any offer he receives or take two first-round picks in exchange for him.
This gives Jackson full control over the amount of money he can ask for, especially with the stats he has consistently offered since he began his NFL career. But this new freedom can easily become a double-edged sword for one simple reason.
We have used the franchise tag on quarterback Lamar Jackson. pic.twitter.com/AHrqyCgcAI
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) March 7, 2023
Lamar Jackson’s realistic options for his next team
Before anyone says the Miami Dolphins could go after Lamar Jackson, there are a few other things to consider first. Tua Tagovailoa is well-liked within the Dolphins franchise, they will have to come up with a strategy if they want to keep him with all his concussion problems.
Lamar Jackson also has the option to play for the Atlanta Falcons or the Washington Commanders. If the Ravens’ intentions are to keep that label they just announced, they might regret this decision if another team offers much more than they expected to pay the QB. Jackson doesn’t have to deal with agents, that’s an advantage for him.
