NFL fans soak in Lamar Jackson’s new look as Ravens QB officially signs $260M deal

NFL fans soak in Lamar Jackson’s new look as Ravens QB officially signs $260M deal - “Lookin like Whoopi Goldberg”

Published May 04, 2023 17:55 GMT

Lamar Jackson gets roasted and congratulated by fans over hair change

Lamar Jackson is set to be up to a quarter of a billion dollars richer today, as the Baltimore Ravens quarterback has officially signed his contract. Adam Schefter tweeted out a picture of his reaction while signing on the dotted line.

The biggest story from the event didn't appear to be the fact that the Ravens are tied up for the next five years, paying through the nose. Instead, it was about the quarterback's hairs draped over his eyes as he stared the camera down. Some fans were left stunned, others roasted the new look. A chunk of fans applauded abandoning the tight cut. Here's a look at the mixed reception:

Lamar Jackson contract details: how much money will the Ravens QB make?

The quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens has been fighting for this day for years. After a long, grueling battle of attrition, what did the quarterback ultimately get in addition to saving millions on agent fees? Here's how it all shakes out, according to Spotrac.

The deal is worth up to $260 million and is not fully guaranteed, like many had braced for in the wake of Deshaun Watson's mega deal. It carries a $52 million average salary and guarantees $182 million total. Meaning, he'll make at least 70 percent of his contract no matter what.

The deal will run through the 2027 season. At the start of the 2028 league year, the quarterback will be a free agent. Right now, the quarterback is heading into his age 26 season. At the end of the deal, he'll be heading into his age 31 season. At this point, the next three seasons or so should be smooth sailing, but somewhere around 2026, whispers could begin to float around about his contract once again.

After winning a massive deal without an agent, the assumption is that the quarterback will be content to test the waters again without representation. At that point, the question will be whether the quarterback will get a smoother negotiation using language and understanding already hashed out.

If not, being on the plus side of 30, the next round could be as difficult or even more so between the two sides.

However, in 2023, the bigger question is whether the quarterback can stay healthy this season. Jackson has missed the end of each of the last two seasons, leaving the Ravens with an uphill climb. With his name now on the dotted line, the Ravens can only wait and see if he can finish his first season in what will be basically three years.

About the author

Ian brings with him more than 6.5 years of sports writing experience to the Sportskeeda NFL team. He played offensive line in middle school and high school, and also made it to the top 0% matchmaking ranking in MUT play in Madden.

He possesses the quality of identifying unique story angles from quotes in press conferences, social media and interviews. He assimilates facts for his stories with a lawyer-like precision and verifies each and every piece of information.

Ian admires Peyton Manning for his ability to beat teams with his mind despite not being the best athlete, and is also a fan of Tom Brady. The Denver Broncos are his favorite team, and their Super Bowl 50 win in Manning’s last game is etched in his memory forever. Bill Belichick is his all-time favorite coach.

He has also grown to admire the Los Angeles Rams mainly because he and Cooper Kupp went to the same college, Eastern Washington University, with both finishing their college careers at the same time.

In his career so far, Ian has had the privilege of exclusively interviewing Los Angeles Rams General Manager Les Snead, Kwity Paye of the Indianpolis Colts and Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jamari Thrash. When not writing, he likes to play video games and be outdoors.

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