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Lamar Jackson has had a terrible run in free agency thus far. Not only has he not gotten any traction towards the deal he wants, the Ravens placed the franchise tag on him. He's requested a trade from the team and this situation could get even uglier.
Controversial journalist Jason Whitlock believes the media is partly to blame for how the saga has unfolded.
He said:
“Take yourself out of that victim mentality and have a more realistic approach, Lamar. Listening to the media choir, listening to social media, believes he’s a victim, and Baltimore hasn’t met his value, in his mind."
He continued:
"And this has all been inevitable, from draft night on, that eventually – and I loved all the things Lamar was doing before this whole contract dispute played out the last year and a half with ‘no one cares,’ ‘work hard’ and all that stuff – but eventually he was going to fold to the song the choir was singing. And the choir has been telling him ‘you’re a victim, Lamar, and they’re mistreating you.’ And he’s bought what the choir’s singing.”
Jackson has asked for a longer, guaranteed contract akin to what the Cleveland Browns gave Deshaun Watson, but the Ravens have refused thus far.
Why did Lamar Jackson reject Ravens' last offer?
The Baltimore Ravens haven't been totally absent in the negotiation process with Lamar Jackson. While they haven't given him close to what he wants, they have made offers to their credit.
The latest offer he received was a three-year, $133 million deal. He rejected it, hoping to find something longer. Most superstar quarterbacks get longer deals than that and while it is guaranteed like he wants, it wasn't the contract he was looking for.
The biggest reason he rejected it and why he's looking for longer, guaranteed deals is because of Deshaun Watson. If Watson, who's not as young or as successful as Jackson is, got five years and $250 million guaranteed, then Lamar Jackson should theoretically get the same.
The problem is that most teams don't operate that way. The Browns made a mistake with that deal, but it has altered the perception of quarterback deals forever.
