The Baltimore Ravens have decided to place a franchise tag on their star quarterback Lamar Jackson, despite a relatively dry market for his position in this year’s NFL free agency on Tuesday. This decision has raised suspicions among some NFL players and pundits who question the team’s motives.
Franchise tag enables organizations to keep their best players by giving them a one-year, exclusive, or non-exclusive contract. In contrast to the non-exclusive tag, which permits negotiations with other teams but grants the original team the right to match any offer, the exclusive tag forbids the player from engaging in such negotiations.
The veteran quarterback could continue growing his career with the Ravens with a regular guaranteed salary of $32.4 million for the 2023 season for one year. Suppose the Ravens put the exclusive tag on Jackson in exchange for a guaranteed amount of $45.2 million for the 2023 season, which is nearly $13 million more than the non-exclusive designation. In that case, this free agent could not get the chance to trade with other teams.
What franchise tag did Lamar Jackson get?
Lamar Jackson getting the non-exclusive tag means he can still negotiate with other teams. Still, the Ravens possess full authority to either keep him or take compensation from other teams for allowing him to play for that team. If the 2019 NFL MVP were to agree to sign with another team and the Ravens declined to match the offer, Jackson’s new team would send two first-round picks to the Baltimore Ravens as compensation.
However, with several teams needing a franchise quarterback and a limited pool of available options, it is unclear why the Baltimore Ravens chose to use a non-exclusive tag rather than an exclusive one.
Ravens’ general manager released a statement saying they failed to reach any conclusion after discussing the matter several times. Reportedly, Jackson negotiated for a full-guaranteed deal like Deshaun Watson, but that discussion did not work out; hence, the decision came out.
Some players and analysts have speculated that the Ravens may be trying to leverage the non-exclusive tag to force Jackson to agree to a long-term contract on their terms. Others have suggested that the team may attempt to drive up the price for Jackson in negotiations with other teams, potentially leading to a more significant return if they do end up trading him.
All eyes are on Lamar Jackson and the Ravens right now. Fans and the Ravens team will eagerly anticipate favorable results, with the new NFL season starting in September.
What’s your take on Baltimore’s decision? Let us know in the comments.
