Sports

Details Of Lamar Jackson’s Contract Negotiations Came Out So Fast That Insiders Couldn’t Keep Up

#Lamar Jackson
by Last Updated
Lamar Jackson walks onto the field.

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The NFL Draft is set to kick off Thursday night as teams look to add talent to the roster. The most notable headline on draft day revolves around a current NFL player, though.

After a long and drawn-out saga that dates back to last offseason, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens have come to an agreement. The quarterback has agreed to terms on an extension that will allow him to stay in Baltimore.

That extension is set at five years and worth $260 million. He’s now the highest paid player in the NFL, just trumping Jalen Hurts.

Reports began surfacing this afternoon of “progress” between the two sides in negotiations. Those messages insinuated that there could be good news coming, though no one intended the news to break so quickly.

Looking at top insider Ian Rapoport’s timeline, you get a sense of just how fast the news was leaked.

At 4:14 PM EST, Rapoport tweeted about “progress on a mega-deal” though he was quick to note that it was “not done.”

He closed that post by saying, “Baltimore MAY keep their star.”

Fast forward to 4:17 PM, just three minutes later, and Rapoport was back online.

This time, he insinuated that an offer had been made. “Once Jalen Hurts’ deal got done, Baltimore stepped up and offered him a deal that trumped it,” Rapoport wrote on his Twitter feed.

It didn’t take much longer for his next report, which confirmed that Jackson had accepted, and that terms had been agreed upon.

Notice the timestamp there? 4:21 PM.

So, in a matter of 10 minutes, the reports showed progression, an offer, and acceptance for a blockbuster deal.

Fans online took note of the quickness of those details being reported.

Jackson appears to be ecstatic with the result. He posted a video on social media showing his excitement for the future. He’d previously piqued fans’ interest with a cryptic message with a Spongebob GIF.

Fans no longer have to guess.

“For the last few months, there’s been a lot of he-said, she-said… But for the next five years, it’s about the FLOCK!” Jackson said.

Huge news for both Baltimore and Lamar Jackson. After months of waiting, it took just minutes to follow the final reports. Maybe it had something to do with the passer representing himself in negotiations.

Whatever the case, Baltimore should be primed for a playoff run in 2023.