NFL free agency: Predicting where top 25 projected players land in 2022

2022 NFL free agency: Lamar Jackson to Baltimore Ravens

*Updated Oct 1st – Ravens pick up 5th year option on Jackson*

The Baltimore Ravens still have two more options ahead of them to prevent quarterback Lamar Jackson from hitting NFL free agency.

The easiest and probably the favored route would be to negotiate a long-term extension for the 2019 MVP. He’s eligible for it now and deserves it even though 2020 revealed some weaknesses about his supporting cast and the Ravens’ offensive scheme.

Baltimore’s other option, picking up Jackson’s fifth-year option, is fully in play, too. If a long-term deal can’t be worked out, that’s likely the route to be taken.

The Ravens need to spend this offseason working at getting weapons to help Jackson thrive in the passing game, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea for offensive coordinator Greg Roman to get a bit more creative through the air, too. That was one of the major pitfalls of Baltimore’s offense throughout 2020, and the lack of progress opened the first few questions about Jackson since his rookie year.

But that doesn’t mean things are beyond being fixed.

Currently projected with $128.6 million in cap space for 2022, the Ravens should have plenty of money to make it work. And while there are a number of other young players on the roster who’ll be due contract extensions soon, it would be absolutely silly for Baltimore to let its franchise-best player to even sniff the open market.

Jackson isn’t going anywhere.