Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson took to social media Monday morning to announce that he requested a trade from the Ravens earlier this month.
Jackson tweeted just as Ravens coach John Harbaugh sat to meet with reporters at the owners meetings in Phoenix.
“As of March 2nd I requested a trade from the Ravens organization for which the Ravens has (since) not been interested in meeting my value,” Jackson wrote, in part, in a series of Twitter posts.
Harbaugh told reporters in real time that he still expects Jackson to be the team’s quarterback in 2023.
“I haven’t seen the tweet,” Harbaugh said. “It’s an ongoing process. I’m following it very closely, just like everybody else is here and looking forward to a resolution. I’m excited. Thinking about Lamar (Jackson) all the time. Thinking about him as our quarterback. We’re building our offense around that idea. I’m just looking forward to getting back to football and I’m confident that’s going to happen.”
The Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson on March 7, five days after he says he requested the trade. The sides failed to reach agreement on a new contract despite negotiations that have lasted more than a year.
Jackson has until July 17 to sign the tender, or sign a long-term deal with the club, with the latter appearing unlikely now.
Until he signs the $32.41 million tender, Jackson is free to meet with other teams and agree to a long-term deal with one of them. The Ravens, by using the franchise tag, have refusal rights and can match any offer sheet Jackson receives. If the Ravens choose not to match a contract offer, they would command two first-round picks in exchange for Jackson.
If Jackson doesn’t find a suitor and if the Ravens refuse to trade him, Jackson will be forced to play on the tender or sit out the 2023 season.
Jackson represents himself.
Jackson, 26, missed the final five games of the 2022 regular season, plus the wild-card playoff loss at Cincinnati, with a knee sprain. He did not travel with the Ravens for the game against the Bengals, sparking speculation he was ready to move on in the offseason.
In 12 games last season, Jackson threw for 2,242 yards with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also led the Ravens in rushing with 764 yards and three touchdowns.
The 2019 league MVP, Jackson has played in 70 games (61 starts) since the Ravens selected him with the last pick of the first round in the 2018 NFL Draft. He has completed 63.7 percent of his passes for 12,209 yards with 101 touchdowns and 38 interceptions. He has run for 4,437 yards and 24 scores.
He has a 45–16 record as a starter.
