NFL Notes: Derek Carr, Lamar Jackson, Caleb Williams

Lamar Jackson

• ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Jamison Hensley note a number of Ravens players and coaches were caught off guard by QB Lamar Jackson not being able to play in the playoffs. The initial timeline provided for his PCL injury would have had him back by then but Jackson didn’t feel comfortable with his knee. 
• The public injury update Jackson tweeted amid controversy about his absence caught the team off-guard, per Fowler and Hensley. A team source added they were under the impression Jackson could have played without risking further damage to the knee but obviously if he wasn’t comfortable going, they had to defer to him: “How do you dispute that? You have to respect the player’s outlook on his own injury.”
• The team sources Fowler and Hensley talked to said Jackson’s injury was legitimate and not related to his contract, and Ravens GM Eric DeCosta publicly affirmed that stance after the season. But a few wondered if having that long-term security in hand would have made a difference.
• Jackson is expected to be franchise-tagged by the Ravens but that creates the possibility of an extended offseason absence if Jackson doesn’t sign the tender. One AFC exec told ESPN: “It could become a standoff, because I wouldn’t expect him to sign the tag for a while. And [the Ravens] will be so far apart in the guaranteed money.”
• Hensley and Fowler say the Ravens spoke with Jackson after the season to get his thoughts on personnel and vision for the offense as they looked for a new coordinator. But while the team gave him opportunities to be involved, Jackson did not have direct interaction with any of the candidates. 
• They add Jackson was a major topic of discussion during interviews, with the Ravens wanting to know how prospective OC’s would maximize Jackson as a passer and build a rapport with him. One candidate came away with the impression they planned on having Jackson at quarterback in 2023. 
• Should the Ravens part ways with Jackson, they’d likely have the picks to go after a successor in the draft. Fowler and Hensley add Rams QB Baker Mayfield is another stopgap option, as he’s worked with new OC Todd Monken in Cleveland. 

Caleb Williams

USC QB Caleb Williams wouldn’t say whether he will enter the 2024 NFL Draft in his first year of eligibility to go pro

“I can’t say right now [what I’ll do],” Williams said, via Lanae Brody of People. “The expectation from everybody would be that I would leave and go pro, but that would be a very, very in the moment kind of decision after speaking to family members and mentors that I believe in and trust their word.”

Williams said he likes to be around “younger coaches” and names the Dolphins as a team he’s highly interested in. 

“I like to be around younger coaches,” Williams says. “I’d probably go to the Dolphins. I also would be able to play with Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Mike Gesicki. The defense isn’t bad. That’s probably my number one spot.”

Williams added the 49ers, Raiders, and Falcons as teams at the top of his list, but he’d also be willing to “play anywhere.” 

“San Fran, Raiders or Falcons,” Williams said. “I’d play anywhere.”