Chiefs' contract method with Mahomes presents Ravens a blueprint for Lamar Jackson

[ad_1] The Baltimore Ravens do not have a quarterback downside. They've a timing downside, and in the event that they crack the code, they might not have a cash downside.

With free company approaching, Lamar Jackson nonetheless has two years remaining on the five-year, $260 million deal he signed earlier than the 2023 season. That is the excellent news. The dangerous information is that it's scheduled to hold an enormous $74.5 million cap hit in 2026.

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That is a quantity that makes significant roster constructing almost inconceivable till it is addressed. Baltimore has expressed confidence {that a} new deal will ultimately come collectively, and league-wide perception stays that Jackson desires to stick with the Ravens long run, however hope and intention do not create cap house. Motion does.

That is why what occurred this week with the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs ought to seize the Ravens' full consideration. They reworked Patrick Mahomes' contract. By doing so, they dropped his 2026 cap quantity from $78.2 million to roughly $34.65 million. Additionally they created greater than $43 million in flexibility.

The conditions aren't equivalent, not by any means. Mahomes is signed via 2031, whereas Jackson has two years remaining, however the precept is similar. Elite quarterbacks and aggressive home windows demand inventive accounting, not hesitation.

Eric DeCosta and his crew can decrease Jackson's 2026 cap quantity by hammering out an extension that spreads future earnings over further years. In some unspecified time in the future, this stops being about numbers and begins being about priorities.

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Jackson has already confirmed he is value no matter record-setting determine it takes to maintain him in Baltimore. Some can argue he is value greater than offers just like the one Dak Prescott owns or anybody else on the high of the market. Time will inform if he surpasses that quantity.

The Chiefs did not watch for strain to peak earlier than they started appearing. They moved early to guard their roster flexibility and championship window. The Ravens now face the identical selection. The blueprint exists. The urgency is actual. All that is left is for Baltimore to comply with via.

Championship home windows do not stay open endlessly, even with a generational expertise underneath heart. The Ravens know what they've in Lamar Jackson. Now, it is about proving they're keen to do what it takes to maximise him. The blueprint is there, the motivation is clear, and the second has arrived for Baltimore to show intention into ink.