Mark Andrews offers to donate his paycheck to keep Lamar Jackson in Baltimore
Ravens’ Lamar Jackson and Mark Andrews make up arguably the second-best quarterback-tight end duo in the league, so it’s no wonder Andrews wants Jackson to stay at all costs.
This offseason, the Baltimore Ravens franchise has turned into a ticking time bomb because of quarterback Lamar Jackson’s tense and escalating contract saga. Will he stay or will he go? Which teams will be quickest to react to the nuclear fallout, if one occurs?
Jackson played out the last year of his rookie deal in the 2022 season and is currently negotiating an extension with the Ravens’ front office. He has about a month to agree to a deal before the Ravens are forced to either place a franchise tag on him or let him test free agency — given Jackson’s unique talents, the Ravens almost certainly are not going to let him slip out of their hands in 2023.
The 2019 league MVP bet on himself these past few seasons by not securing a long-term deal sooner, and he ended up winning all the chips. Jackson represents himself in contract talks, which could pose a minor reason as to why negotiations continue to drag out.
The other — much bigger — reason is financially motivated. With the continually inflating quarterback market and in the aftermath of Cleveland Browns’ Deshaun Watson’s precedent-setting deal, Jackson is likely seeking an obscene amount of guaranteed money.
No fear for the Ravens front office, though, tight end Mark Andrews is here to help chip in.
Andrews recently went live with Pro Football Talk to share his thoughts on Jackson’s contract stalemate, noting that “both parties want to get a deal done.”
Ravens’ Mark Andrews wants to chip in to help get Lamar Jackson a long-term deal
He told PFT:
“I think Lamar is a Raven for life. I know that the organization wants Lamar, and I know that he has a lot of respect for the organization as well. Both parties want to get a deal done. It’s just about doing it.”
The tight end then generously offered to donate his paycheck if that would help the Ravens retain Jackson for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately for Andrews, the situation is out of his control.
All quarterback-needy teams (the Atlanta Falcons and New York Jets in particular) are keeping a close eye on Jackson’s contract drama this offseason, no doubt ready to jump the gun for Jackson the moment he steps out of the door.
Those teams may need to rein in their agents for at least another year as there’s a high chance the Ravens will place the franchise tag on Jackson if the two sides don’t get a deal done by March.
The 10-7 Ravens fell into an offensive slump without their starting quarterback, losing him for the last stretch of the 2022 season and the postseason after Jackson suffered a serious knee injury in Week 13.
Andrews also saw his production decline from 1,300-plus receiving yards last year to roughly 800 receiving yards this year. He’s served as Jackson’s trustiest target for the last five seasons, and both he and the Ravens franchise would benefit from Jackson finally inking a long-term extension.
The mutual feelings are clearly there, leaving the Ravens to answer one pivotal question: Exactly how much are they willing to pay to secure their franchise quarterback?
