As soon as the game clock struck double zeroes in the Baltimore Ravens’ wild-card round loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night, all eyes turned to quarterback Lamar Jackson and his possible impending free agency.
Jackson, who did not play Sunday due to a knee sprain, is headed for unrestricted free agency when the new league year begins on March 16 unless the Ravens use the franchise tag on him or both parties can agree to a new long-term contract.
[Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins: ‘If we’d have had Lamar, we’d have won’]
Negotiations on a contract extension between the Ravens and Jackson, who is representing himself and does not have an agent, proved unfruitful before the 2022 season but are expected to resume now that the team’s offseason has begun.
The quarterback has also made some cryptic posts to his social media accounts over the past few days.
If Jackson decides to test the waters of free agency, however, there will instantly be plenty of competition for the 26-year-old’s services. Jackson has reached the playoffs with the Ravens in three out of his four seasons as a full-time starter and won the 2019 NFL MVP award.
So, which team will Jackson suit up for in 2023? FOX Bet has the latest hypothetical odds.
ODDS ON LAMAR JACKSON’S NEXT TEAM
- Baltimore Ravens -200 (bet $10 to win $15 total)
- New York Jets +400 (bet $10 to win $50 total)
- Atlanta Falcons +500 (bet $10 to win $60 total)
- Las Vegas Raiders +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
- New England Patriots +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)
- San Francisco 49ers +1200 (bet $10 to win $130 total)
- Washington Commanders +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total)
- Tennessee Titans +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total)
- Carolina Panthers +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
*Odds as of 1/17/2023
The Ravens are still favorites to retain Jackson due to his importance to their success over the last several years. However, that comes with a caveat.
“We ultimately believe Lamar and Baltimore will come to an agreement, but the odds are not as short as they would have been in months prior,” FOX Bet trading operations senior manager Dylan Brossman said.
The next-shortest odds belong to the Jets, who have a young core of promising players but plenty of questions at quarterback after the struggles of former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson. The Jets are reportedly interested in bringing in a veteran quarterback to at least compete with Wilson. Could they swing for the fences and sign a superstar like Jackson to round out their talented roster? Such a move could give the Jets a massive boost in a very competitive AFC East.
[Zach Wilson: If Jets sign QB, ‘I’m going to make that dude’s life hell’]
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The Falcons also have some prized young talent on offense — particularly wide receiver Drake London — and are already projected to have over $50 million in salary cap space this coming offseason. They also do not appear to have a long-term solution at quarterback, finishing 7-10 in 2022 with a patchwork tandem of veteran Marcus Mariota and rookie Desmond Ridder.
“If Lamar is no longer a Raven next year, we believe the Jets and Falcons make the most sense as his possible landing spots,” Brossman stated.
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The Raiders also have a gaping hole at quarterback as Derek Carr’s days appear to be numbered with the franchise that drafted him. Head coach Josh McDaniels may seek a reunion with Tom Brady, but Jackson — nearly 20 years younger than Brady — would be a phenomenal Plan B to join with Davante Adams, Darren Waller and Josh Jacobs.
Brady’s former team, the Patriots, may not be as long of a shot as it would seem at first glance. It may be natural to expect Mac Jones to stay as New England’s starter if Bill Belichick does bring back Bill O’Brien as offensive coordinator, which he is reportedly interested in doing, as Jones and O’Brien overlapped briefly at Alabama. But Deshaun Watson also became a star for the Houston Texans with O’Brien as head coach, and Jackson possesses a similar running ability to Watson that Jones does not.
[Help wanted: Eight candidates for Patriots offensive coordinator role]
The 49ers also could decide to revamp their quarterback room depending on what happens with former No. 3 overall pick Trey Lance, who went down with an injury in the second game of the season, and the last overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, Brock Purdy, who is now 6-0 as a starter after San Francisco beat the Seattle Seahawks in the wild-card round last weekend. Could the 49ers wipe the slate clean and add another superstar to a roster that is already loaded with talent on both sides of the ball?
The Commanders, Titans and Panthers also all have quarterback issues of their own. Veteran quarterbacks Carson Wentz, Ryan Tannehill and Sam Darnold all appear to have worn out their welcomes at their respective teams, and backups like Sam Howell, Taylor Heinicke, Malik Willis and P.J. Walker have shown flashes of potential but proven inconsistent. Adding a legitimate superstar like Jackson under center could go a long way to reversing the fortunes of these teams.
Where will Jackson ultimately end up? Stay tuned to FOX Sports for all the latest on one of the biggest stories of the NFL offseason.
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