Is Lamar Jackson’s Instagram story a message to Ravens?

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was unable to play in his team’s loss to the Bengals, but his latest Instagram story insinuates much more.

Lamar Jackson missed the final month-plus of the NFL regular season, and the Ravens postseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals, with an injury. While some pundits gave Jackson the admittedly bad advice to play through pain against Cincinnati, he stayed home, and didn’t even travel with the team.

Jackson’s decision to leave his teammates out to dry was a questionable one, to say the least. While plenty of injured players stay at home in such situations, there is only one Lamar Jackson, and he is the face of the franchise for a reason.

But how much longer will that be the case? Jackson posted a story on Instagram that hints at his recent drama, and a looming contract dilemma.

NFL rumors: Did Lamar Jackson send message to the Ravens?

“When you have something good,” Jackson posted. “You don’t play with it. You don’t take chances losing it. You don’t neglect it. When you have something good, you pour into it. You appreciate it. Because when you take care of something good, that good thing takes care of you too.”

Jackson, who doesn’t have an agent, will try to negotiate a long-term contract this offseason. He reportedly wants the same or more than the deal Deshaun Watson signed last year, which made him the highest-paid quarterback in football. While Jackson is a former MVP, he’s also injury prone and there are questions as to how his style of play will change in the years to come.

Trading Lamar was unthinkable as recently as last offseason, but signing him to a Watson-style contract given those same uncertainties is a risk for Baltimore. The franchise tag is a likely solution, but not before weeks of controversy.

Buckle up.