NFL Rumors: Surprise suitor deemed a ‘wild card’ for Lamar Jackson

A surprise team has entered the Lamar Jackson rumor mill, according to an NFL insider

Any football fan has unquestionably heard and has likely been following the saga that is Lamar Jackson and his standoff with the Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens gave Jackson the non-exclusive franchise tag this offseason, meaning he can negotiate with other teams and sign an offer sheet if he finds a deal he likes. In turn, the Ravens would receive a pair of first-round picks from said team if they opted not to match.

Wednesday, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler appeared on Sportscenter and mentioned a couple of teams currently rumored to be in the mix for Jackson’s services, and one of those could send shockwaves through the NFC if they pulled off such a move.

“And then when you talk about good fits, I asked some executives around the league what teams would make sense. They mention Tennessee, who just cleared some cap space … And even a wild card like Minnesota. Kirk Cousins has one year left on his contract if they want to reestablish their identity there,” Fowler said.

A trade for Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson would have multiple layers for Minnesota

Obviously, the Vikings couldn’t just offer Jackson a contract, outright. They have Kirk Cousins under contract for this year, still, and Cousins counts $20 million against their cap. Pursuing Jackson would mean that, undoubtedly, Cousins is included in any transaction.

What a deal for Jackson also means is that Minnesota will offer him a brand-new contract, which is something the Ravens have tried to do and failed to meet Jackson’s expectations.

It might sound crazy at first, but as recent as just a few days ago, odds started to soar in favor of Minnesota landing Jackson.

So, how does a deal for Lamar happen in Minnesota? Let’s look at the trade first, followed by what a new contract could spell for the current Ravens quarterback.