With Lamar Jackson's Baltimore Ravens tenure all but over, other teams have a real shot at landing the 2019 NFL MVP. The dynamic playmaker requested a trade on March 2 as contract talks stalled, which has other fanbases salivating at the prospect of getting him in their locker room.
One of those fanbases is the Indianapolis Colts. The team has been searching for a franchise quarterback since Andrew Luck abruptly retired in the 2019 pre-season.
The idea that the Colts, who've thrown assets like Philip Rivers, Matt Ryan, Carson Wentz and others to fill that void, could get Jackson was a fun one for the fans to speculate about.
However, after a recent statement by owner Jim Irsay, the fans' hopes came crashing down.
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Per Zak Keefer, Irsay said:
"As an owner I do not believe in fully-guaranteed contracts. I think that a percentage is one thing, but from what I’ve seen from the NBA and baseball, I don’t see it as a positive competitively."
This has fans believing that Jackson will never be a Colt since that's what he's been asking for since the negotiations began.
The Colts are drafting fourth in the upcoming NFL draft, which has many fans believing the team will select their quarterback there instead of going after Jackson.
It could be Will Levis or Anthony Richardson, but Lamar Jackson in the blue and white Colts jersey seems like an extremely far-fetched dream now.
Ravens offer to Lamar Jackson was too low for the quarterback
Once the Cleveland Browns offered Deshaun Watson a five-year, $250 million fully guaranteed contract, the quarterback market was forever re-shaped. A deal of that stature being fully guaranteed was unheard of.
Now, it's (justifiably) not what Lamar Jackson wants. So when the Ravens offered him three years and $133 million guaranteed, he turned it down.
The quarterback wants a long contract so he doesn't have to worry, but he also wants guaranteed money because he's been hurt playing for the team before.
It's not out of the ordinary, but it puts teams in a tough spot. Now, the Ravens appear to have lost their quarterback entirely.
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