Lamar Jackson Is No Bargain Bin Special

Lamar Jackson certainly elicits a reaction. Always has, probably always will it appears. This week the Baltimore Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson basically meaning if he signs it he will get a guaranteed 32.5 million dollars. Sounds like a good deal in theory right? Wrong! Not when the market for just good quarterbacks is starting at 40 million per season. Less accomplished quarterbacks are being paid more and this is just the latest in a long line of disrespect thrown at Jackson.

When Jackson was coming out of college, he was the quarterback questioned on his accuracy despite having a higher completion percentage than Josh Allen, questioned on grasping the pro game despite the fact he mastered the pro style offense Bobby Petrino runs at Louisville, hell he was the only prospect who was told he should switch positions. 

He threw 69 touchdowns to only 27 picks, over 9,000 yards and won the Heisman! Did he have the perfect game? Absolutely not, no such thing as a perfect prospect but for guys such as Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield to get drafted ahead of him was a joke and that was at the time. 

The goalposts always move when it comes to Lamar. You want a qb who wins? He's tied with Tom Brady for most wins through 50 games and consistently has led the Ravens to the Playoffs. You want someone who despite having the least money spent on wide receivers since 2019 he has been 3rd in QBR vs man coverage, 4th in QBR vs zone coverage, and 2nd in QBR when defenses have 7 or fewer players in the box.

There have been 5 guys in the history of the NFL 96-plus passer rating and over 100 touchdowns in their first 61 career starts – Patrick Mahomes, Dan Marino, Aaron Rodgers and Deshaun Watson and Lamar Jackson. What does all this mean? It means Lamar Jackson is just the quarterback position evolved.

When within minutes of the franchise tag being announced you have teams coming out and saying they aren't interested it smells kinda funny. Teams like Carolina, Atlanta, and Oakland who are as of now trotting out PJ Walker, Desmond Ridder, and Jarrett Stidham as their quarterbacks this season. No disrespect but none of those guys are the youngest MVP in NFL history. None of these guys are arguably the most dynamic player at his position we've ever seen. 

They've tried to discount out him on the field for years, now that he's surpassed all the goals they said he'd never attain they're going to try and discount him when it's time to pay him.

Just. Pay. The. Man.