A Pittsburgh Steelers AFC North rival may be losing a great player in the coming weeks. In the recent months, reports have come out about the potentially soured relationship between Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. Now that the offseason has officially started, those rumors are seeming to be more and more accurate. According to Jamison Hensley and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Jackson is comparing his contract negotiations to a quarterback that recently got a huge extension.
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Steelers star TJ Watt celebrates after a big play in a regular season game against Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns.
That would be Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns, who received a five-year, $230 million deal last offseason. Perhaps most importantly, amongst his scandals, Watson's deal was shockingly fully guaranteed. Now, others around the league are using his deal as leverage. Hensley and Fowler updated the Jackson situation with this to say:
"Jackson -- who has vowed not to speak publicly about his contract since the start of the 2022 regular season -- wants a fully guaranteed deal in line with the five-year, $230 million contract the Cleveland Browns gave Deshaun Watson in March. The Ravens, meanwhile, are balking at guaranteeing the full amount, according to team sources. Jackson turned down a five-year, $250 million contract in September that included $133 million guaranteed," Hensley and Fowler said.
Jackson is the first notable player to use it as leverage, particularly as they play the same position. In fairness to the Ravens quarterback, he has less concerns than Watson had when comparing the two's contract situations. Hensley even suggested that a possible trade is now more likely than it was just a few months ago, according to one of his sources. That would give the Ravens some value without letting him just walk away for nothing.
They could also franchise tag Jackson, which players have scoffed at receiving in past years. As for teams that could acquire the 2019 NFL MVP, the New York Jets are a squad in dire need of a quarterback. They've already been heavily linked to the two-time Pro Bowler, as have the Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins. For the sake of Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and other AFC coaches, hopefully Jackson heads to the Falcons in the NFC.
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The Steelers defense stifled Tyler Huntley and the Ravens in Week 17, keeping their postseason hopes alive.
With the quarterback-loaded AFC, Jackson's departure would create some breathing room for teams seeking to earn a Wild Card berth. So how does this all relate to the Steelers? Well, it would make the mountain of the AFC North look significantly easier. It would still be a difficult division, but the absence of Jackson would greatly hurt the Ravens. Over the last few weeks of the season, we saw how much their offense slipped with Tyler Huntley under center as opposed to Jackson.
Of course, the Cincinnati Bengals are still the top dog. Jackson leaving the division would open the door for the Steelers to finish in second place in 2023, at the very least. In other words, they would have a much better chance at making the postseason. It's unclear what the Ravens' plan at quarterback would be if they were to lose Jackson. While Huntley has a few seasons under his belt in their season, it would be quite risky to move into the season with their only legitimate option at QB.
Do you think Lamar Jackson gets moved? If so, where do you think he lands? How much would this loss help Tomlin and the Steelers' playoff chances next season? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, yinz!
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