[ad_1]
Lamar Jackson wasn’t with the Baltimore Ravens during the AFC Wild Card game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night. not a bus. Not the locker room, not the sideline.
Since tweeting an injury update on Thursday to raise eyebrows across the league, his social media accounts have been silent during the excruciating competitive loss.
Absence was conspicuous. Silence is loud. And now, Lamar Jackson’s future is as uncertain as ever.
Depending on the situation, this is how the deal goes. In other countries, contract negotiations come to mind and are the way deals are closed. Either one could happen to Jackson and the Ravens in the coming months. This ambiguity continues until the franchise or his quarterback (or both) take a step and publicly settle that it’s devolved into a quiet war over Jackson’s health and upcoming extensions. will be the NFL’s greatest story.
make no mistake teeth What’s happening now: The Ravens are dealing with the frustration of expecting Jackson to return in the postseason. We have a lot to lose.
Everyone in the NFL seems to be talking about some aspect of it, fueled by the ambiguity of the situation. Or simply reading the demeanor of Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh or the frowning comments of Ravens wideout Sammy Watkins. It feels like a small circus trying to get bigger, bigger, more dramatic.
One NFL general manager sent a text message late Sunday night. [our quarterback’s] Negotiation completed! “
Not everyone in the league wants a situation like this for Jackson or the Ravens.People in the NFL who have been through this sort of thing – record quarterback impact, hurt feelings, angry fans Negotiating with-is a small fraternity. Whether it’s setting new contract standards that piss off the rest of the league’s franchise owners or signing deals that end up going bad, all of them kind of come from experience. Few people, even the most competitive, want to see others have to go through the experience.
But the Ravens are among them. Jackson was the perfect savior for the franchise when it all started. He connected with his teammates and coaching staff. Fans were drawn to his outspokenness and charisma. It soon became clear how he won his 2016 Heisman trophy, and in 2018 he began to struggle to understand why he held on to the final pick in the first round of the NFL Draft. I was. His league MVP in 2019 came unexpectedly quickly, but he also set an astronomical bar.
For the most part, Jackson has responded. He’s won a lot as a starter, but he also needs an attack to match his strengths. One of them, he runs a fair amount and has no shortage of injury risks. Another reason for him is that he can throw out of his pocket with precision and efficiency, but suffers from a drought that rekindles his critics. Wrapping it all up was the money and contract aspect, and the fan base that squabbled with him on social media. Not to mention the pressing question of how to navigate a tough knife-out negotiation. How much damage will each side cause to the other before an agreement is reached? What if we find ourselves in dangerous territory with years of disagreement over warranties and structures?
How does each side handle such added drama?
answer? not good. Or, if you’re reading the current situation pessimistically, it’s scary.
Jackson stayed home during the playoff game when he could have supported his team and there is no real answer as to who made that decision. This can be interpreted as a move to protect itself when the Ravens didn’t know, or don’t seem to know, that it was necessary.
After calculating this trajectory, it’s not hard to see where the guess will go next. None are really good. This is the point where some very well-connected people openly opine that Jackson’s days in Baltimore are over. Coach included. Perhaps even one of those teams that has such an owner in exchange for Jackson to pay him the money he’s asking for.
Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton. Now an analyst at Fox Sports, he shares an informed opinion that should be taken seriously. Did.
“They’re in a playoff game and I know if he’s not playing, but this whole tweet is [from Jackson last week saying] “Let me explain all my health conditions”—see, I hear a few people out there complaining. [there are] Teammate feeling like his process was slower than expected. “I don’t like it. The team is more important than you right now and we appreciate the information on your injury status.” You’re not playing.
“You won’t see this player next coming back to Baltimore. [season]’ said Peyton plainly. “I think he will eventually move to another club.”
A few months ago, such a statement would have been unthinkable. For now, I feel it is possible.
Finding the simple truth is not difficult in this situation. When the season began, Jackson and the Ravens were far apart contractually, thanks in large part to the twisted, out-of-warranty deal signed by DeShawn Watson and the Cleveland Browns. Well, things have gotten worse between the two of them since the season started. The Ravens have avoided any criticism of Jackson and avoided talking about why the deal has stalled. Meanwhile, Jackson has been sparring with fans on social media, strongly suggesting he is upset that the deal has not been finalized. He eventually missed the rest of the season after suffering a sprain and watched from afar as the Ravens lost a hard-fought wild card game to the Bengals.
None of it feels like a recipe for light-hearted compromises. , you saw it.
Jackson was nowhere to be seen. The Ravens were pushing forward with what they had. Now more than ever, I feel like that might be exactly how this all works out.
[ad_2]
Source link
