NFL Rumors: Ravens open to trading Lamar Jackson if contract talks fail

Lamar Jackson's contract standoff with the Baltimore Ravens has been the talk of the town all season. Starting in the offseason, uncertainty loomed over the former NFL MVP's future with the franchise as he entered the final year of his rookie contract.

Both parties have admitted that they have been in constant touch about the matter as they look to tie down the quarterback to a long-term deal. With that being said, no breakthrough has been achieved as contract talks stalled over the season.

According to the latest update by NFL insider Jeremy Fowler, the Ravens won't hesitate to exercise the franchise tag option on Jackson. But Fowler also noted that his sources believe that the team might be open to trading Jackson if a new contract can't be worked out.

Fowler noted that an exclusive or non-exclusive tag is being considered for Jackson. A non-exclusive tag would make the dynamic quarterback open to trade options.

Some reports suggested that the quarterback turned down a $250 million deal as he wanted a contract more in line with DeSean Watson's fully guaranteed contract. Whether or not the Ravens wish to part ways with that sort of money remains to be seen.

But they'll surely throw the kitchen sink at the quarterback in hopes of convincing him to stay for the years to come and, hopefully, bring some Super Bowl titles to Baltimore.

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Former NFL HC slams Ravens for not sorting out Lamar Jackson contract sooner

During an appearance on Sportskeeda's BallFather podcast, former NFL HC Mike Smith discussed Jackson's contract issues and his mindset on the matter:

"I don't know what's going to happen next with Baltimore and their quarterback situation because right now Lamar is not happy. And they know they can't win with the guys that they got."

Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley put in a valiant effort to fill in for the star as he missed the last few weeks of the season due to a PCL sprain. They even came close to pulling off an upset against the Cincinnati Bengals in the team's Wild Card round matchup.

But, of course, there's a distinct difference in the two players' skill sets and abilities. If Baltimore wants to continue winning games, they'll need their dual-threat QB on board.