Lamar Jackson will not have a contract extension in place before the Ravens' season opener, according to league sources cited by ESPN. Jackson has been reluctant to discuss a long-term extension with Baltimore and has instead focused on Sunday's game against the Colts and the season ahead.
Jackson and the Ravens have yet to engage in any substantive, significant discussions about a long-term deal, and no agreement is expected anytime soon, sources said, despite the Ravens' willingness to make him the highest-paid quarterback in football. Many around the league believe Jackson could become the NFL's first $70 million-per-year player.
Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said in January that he wants Jackson back and does not want the contract situation hanging over the team as it enters free agency. "It's very hard for him to build a roster when that thing is not settled," Bisciotti said, adding he hoped it would not drag out the way it did previously.
Jackson, 29, is in the fourth year of a five-year, $260 million contract that includes $185 million guaranteed and runs through the end of next season. His salary cap hit for 2027 rises to $84.3 million, and the Ravens are projected to be roughly $40 million over the salary cap for the 2027 season.
Jackson said this past Tuesday that winning it all is how he would define a successful 2026 season, though he said the team is focused on Week 1 rather than talking about a championship. Jackson is the only active player with multiple MVP awards to not win a Super Bowl, and since entering the NFL in 2018 he has a 76-31 regular-season record as a starter but is 3-5 in the playoffs.
