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Lamar Jackson came into 2021 with big hopes. The quarterback had hoped to finally break through the playoffs and net a massive contract in the process.
Instead, the team failed to reach the playoffs, and no big bag of money landed on Jackson's doorstep. He could still get a deal that keeps him around, but the odds of him getting Mahomes-type money are pretty slim.
Here are three reasons why the quarterback failed to land a massive contract this year.
1 - Choice of negotiator
It is no secret that Lamar Jackson made an unconventional choice regarding the person who would negotiate his final salary. The quarterback's mother was put in charge of securing the final contract for the quarterback. While the gesture was nice, it created an issue.
In letting his family take control over a typical agent, the negotiations became risk-averse. Agents have an incentive to make sure their players get paid, but they aren't personally accountable to these players. Hence, they don't get nervous to the point of not making a move.
Fear kept the quarterback's party from making the confrontational splash necessary for the Ravens to make a move.
#2 - Waiting too long
The quarterback waited too long. It is hard to maintain consistency in all NFL matches, except by the most gifted players. If their performance card looks good, the player must attempt to cash in, especially during the later stages of the contract.
Put simply, the quarterback missed his window to enjoy the greatest leverage.
#3 - Injury
Though the injury wasn't entirely his fault, it was also a Catch-22 situation. He couldn't explode in the NFL without scrambling early and often. Due to this, the quarterback opened himself up to huge risks that could tank his salary. The Ravens haven't jumped on a new contract, and the quarterback has lost his leverage.
His team had a feeling Jackson could get injured based on his playing style, which turned out to be true. Once injuries start for scrambling quarterbacks, they tend to linger and reoccur. As such, the Ravens will be quite hesitant to pay Mahomes-type money to anyone who could be on the slide.
