Lamar Jackson Says He Asked Ravens To Trade Him

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson tweeted out a letter to fans of the team on Monday and revealed that he requested a trade earlier this month. 

“I want to first thank you all for all of the love and support you consistently show towards me. All of you are amazing and I appreciate y’all so much. I want you all to know not to believe everything you read about me. Let me personally answer your questions in regards to my future plans.

As of March 2nd I requested a trade from the Ravens organization for which the Ravens has not been interested in meeting my value, any and everyone that’s has met me or been around me know I love the game of football and my dream is to help a team win the super bowl.

You all are great but I had to make a business decision that was best for my family and I. No matter how far I go or where my career takes me, I’ll continue to be close to my fans of Baltimore Flock nation and the entire State of Maryland. You’ll See me again.”

Probably not coincidentally, the message was sent as Ravens HC John Harbaugh was beginning his press conference at the owners meetings. He was asked about Jackson and said he expected him to be the starter in Week 1, though he admitted the team needs to plan contingencies, per Judy Battista. 

NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport says it’s his understanding the Ravens and Jackson have been engaged in active negotiations over the past week. He adds the trade request becoming public now may be a leverage tactic by Jackson against the team and not necessarily an indication of a relationship fractured beyond repair. 

The Ravens used the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson, which means Jackson is free to meet with interested teams right now. There hasn’t been any reported progress between him and the Ravens on an extension. 

Multiple reports have said that teams are reluctant to sign Jackson to an offer sheet that the Ravens will just turn around and match and that they would prefer to negotiate a traditional trade with Baltimore instead. 

Jackson, 26, is a former first-round pick of the Ravens back in 2018. He played out the fourth year of his four-year, $9,471,652 contract that included a $5,968,472 signing bonus.

The Ravens picked up Jackson’s fifth-year option that cost them $23 million fully guaranteed for the 2022 season. He was due to be an unrestricted free agent in 2023 when the Ravens used the non-exclusive franchise tag at a cost of $32.3 million fully guaranteed. 

In 2022, Jackson appeared in 12 games for the Ravens and completed 62.3 percent of his passes for 2,242 yards, 17 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also rushed for 764 yards and three touchdowns.

We’ll have more on Jackson as the news is available.