Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson recently declared his desire to be traded from the team that drafted him, partly due to the Ravens' unwillingness to offer a fully-guaranteed deal. Unfortunately for him, the Ravens aren't alone in that. Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, one of the logical suitors for Jackson's services, firmly came down against fully-guaranteed deals at last night's owner's meetings.
Colts owner Jim Irsay, asked tonight about fully-guaranteed contracts and the NFL:
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) March 28, 2023
"As an owner I do not believe in fully-guaranteed contracts. I think that a percentage is one thing, but from what I’ve seen from the NBA and baseball, I don’t see it as a positive competitively."
The Colts desperately need a quarterback, but Irsay's statement can only be interpreted as unwillingness to do business with Jackson. It's possible he may change his tune if Jackson lessens his demands, but the Colts may be better off trying to land a quarterback in the draft, anyway. They hold the fourth-overall pick.
Jackson is attempting to follow in the footsteps of Deshaun Watson's precedent-shattering, fully-guaranteed five-year, $230 million deal with the Cleveland Browns. Jackson is undoubtedly a more accomplished and effective player, but he does not appear to have sparked the bidding war that landed Watson that deal last year. It's very possible Jackson has overplayed his hand, and Watson's contract remains an outlier for the foreseeable future.
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