It is quite unfortunate to see Lamar Jackson struggling to find a suitable landing spot despite being a top-tier quarterback in the league. His contract drama began last offseason; however, it was kept to a halt as soon as the 2022 campaign kicked off. This year it was expected that there would be a change in his situation, but the overall scenario seems to have turned much worse.
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Jackson is pushing for a fully guaranteed contract at par with other counterparts in the NFL. But the Ravens have been critical during this entire period, unwilling to commit for a longer future.
As a result, the 26-year-old reportedly had asked the management to trade him before it gets too late. While there haven’t been any developments since then, NFL analyst Rich Eisen came forward to address the situation and a suggestion for Lamar Jackson
Rich Eisen suggests Jackson to follow Odell Beckham Jr’s path
Recently, the NFL owners united for a joint meeting ahead of the 2023 season. Taking this an opportunity to push his proposal, the veteran wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr appeared for the event along with his agent, per Yahoo Sports. He had posted several pictures online, making his fans aware of the situation. Rich Eisen, who was impressed by this approach advised Jackson to follow the same.
“I looked at Odell Beckham Jr, strolling around the owners meeting and having meetings, and there’s his agent with him.” the analyst said in a recent episode of his podcast.
“I sat here, and I thought to myself, What if Lamar had done? What if Lamar Jackson had shown up at this owners’ meeting? What if he had shown up, and was shaking hands and walked straight up to Arthur Blank? It’s a different thing that Odell is a free agent, but so technically is Lamar Jackson”.
“He has not signed his franchise tender. He is also able to sign with another team via an offer sheet.” he added. Indeed the scenario would have been completely different, and by this time, Jackson would have had several offer sheets to make his decision.
Lamar Jackson defends his integrity toward the game
After a long back-and-forth on social media, the Louisville product wrote an open letter to his fans. He mentioned having asked the Ravens’ management for a trade on March 3, but they haven’t responded yet. Meanwhile, another theory created a stir suggesting the passer intentionally stepped out of his duties during the AFC wild-card playoff game against the Bengals.
Jackson, who couldn’t resist his emotions, hit back at the critics stating that he incurred a severe PCL injury and didn’t want to put the efforts of his teammates at stake. Rather than playing horribly, he chose to go to rehab and prepare for the future. It will be interesting to see whether there is a turnaround in the coming days.
