by Many current and former NFL players, as well as high-profile members of the football media, have questioned why so many teams were quick to announce they had no interest in pursuing Lamar Jackson, with some also accusing franchises of colluding against the 26-year-old…old quarterback.
The Baltimore Ravens placed a non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson on Tuesday, after the two sides were unable to agree to a long-term contract extension after two years of negotiations.
With free agency up and running, Jackson will now be able to talk to other teams and potentially sign a bid sheet that the Baltimore Ravens will have a week to level off if they want to keep his services. If they choose not to match the bid sheet, the team will send Baltimore two first-round draft picks in exchange for signing Jackson.
Point guards with Jackson pedigree are not often available, whether through trade or free agency, as the former MVP enters the prime of his career and is only set to improve.
This makes it even more surprising that many teams, including the Atlanta Falcons, Washington Commanders, Las Vegas Raiders, Carolina Panthers and Miami Dolphins have reportedly already announced that they have no interest in pursuing Jackson.
Lamar Jackson received a non-exclusive franchise label today, after which several teams in need of the quarterback said they had no interest in the former MVP in his prime
Robert Griffin III (left) and JJ Watt (right) questioned teams’ lack of interest in former MVPs
In particular, as all five teams are said to have questions ahead at quarterback, making their decisions even more questionable.
Former NFL stars Robert Griffin II, JJ Watt, and Ryan Clark questioned the franchise’s motives for the decision.
“This disrespect for Lamar Jackson is OUTRAGEOUS,” said Griffin III, a former NFL QB analyst turned ESPN analyst.
“Lamar Jackson is the unanimous MVP, led the NFL in passing touchdowns, he’s 26, 45-16 as a starter, and all the teams needing QB say they’re not interested. It doesn’t smell good to me.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers analyst turned ESPN analyst Clark also tweeted: “We live in a world where Daniel Jones’ current salary is higher than Lamar Jackson’s.
“So the former league MVP, 4th overall, wins since entering the league starting his fifth year and at the same age as new rookie Stetson Bennet is free to negotiate… but all these teams know before they talk to him that are they good? Yes, no deal!
Recently retired All-Pro defenseman JJ Watt also tweeted, “Why are all these teams so publicly “dropping” from Lamar Jackson, the MVP winner in his prime at the top position in the entire NFL?
“What am I missing here?”
Former Steeler turned CBS analyst Bryant McFadden chimed in, “The owners are trying not to allow any other type of D. Watson contract.”
Former players weren’t the only ones taking to social media to voice their concerns about Jackson’s tweeting, as current players have also chimed in.
“So you’re sitting here trying to tell me that there isn’t an NFL team that would be interested in trying to negotiate a contract with Lamar Jackson? Dialogue does not hurt the team. It’s not right,” said Tony Jefferson, who spent two different spells with the Ravens and most recently played for the New York Giants.
Chicago Bears Safety Jaquan Brisker responded to a tweet on the matter by saying “MVP lol…another Bruh got paid today and he’s trash.”
Like Clark, Brisker referred to Daniel Jones as “Bruh” who was paid.
Several current and former players have taken notice of the situation surrounding Jackson and the NFL teams
On Tuesday, the New York Giants signed quarterback Jones to a four-year, $160 million contract.
According to ESPN, Jackson wants a fully guaranteed one like the five-year, $230 million Deshaun Watson received last year.
Watson was suspended by the league for 11 games after two dozen women accused him of sexual misconduct while he played for the Houston Texans.
Past and current players weren’t the only ones to notice the oddity of teams being so quick to announce they weren’t interested in a player as talented as Jackson.
NFL reporter Ari Meirov tweeted: “All these teams saying they won’t be chasing Lamar Jackson is very strange.
“Especially those teams that don’t have QB1 in their roster. It costs nothing to talk to him.
NFL insider Josina Anderson said, “The unprecedented rush by several teams to publicly say they are not interested in QB Lamar Jackson may raise more questions than make a statement?”
“Hey @Lj_era8, chin up!”
NBC’s Pro Football Talk even tweeted about it, stating, “NFL teams spend countless hours doing due diligence on every available player in every imaginable position. They knock over every stone. They look into every nook and cranny. And now there’s a former league MVP and they just say, ‘We’re good.’ it smells.
As McFadden noted earlier, many NFL owners, including those of the Ravens, wanted to avoid handing out another fully guaranteed contract that the Cleveland Browns gave Deshaun Watson in the offseason.
Jackson pushed for a fully guaranteed deal, seeing it as a new precedent, and the NFL PA also encouraged him.
It is also said that the NFL PA is watching closely how Jackson’s contract plays out as they too are concerned about colliding with him.
“Regarding this: I’ve spoken to sources at the NFLPA and that’s why they’re keeping a very close eye on Lamar’s situation,” Trey Wingo tweeted about the possible collusion. “As for the C-word, it’s an ongoing concern.”
Several high-profile NFL reporters have also highlighted the apparent collusion, while the NFLPA is said to be closely monitoring Jackson’s contract situation
