Top 5 Lamar Jackson trade destinations if Ravens won’t extend him

The Baltimore Ravens should not trade superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson. He’s proving now as much as ever that he’s the heart and soul of that Baltimore Ravens team, but with one eye on the future, would Lamar play on the franchise tag in 2023? I’m not sure, and nobody else really knows that, either.

What we do know is that, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Jackson has already turned down an extension offer from the Ravens worth $290 million in total money and $133 million guaranteed at signing. Would the Ravens draw a line in the sand with their most valuable player? Is there a line they would not cross financially that would cause them to part ways with Jackson and reload at the quarterback position?

Again, it’s more likely than anything else that the Ravens and Jackson are able to figure something out and get a deal done. But as of right now, that remains a major question mark and Jackson could very well use the leverage of leaking potential future destinations as a way to get the Ravens to commit to his contractual demands. We have seen that from a number of star quarterbacks in the last couple of years.

Let’s just take a trip down hypothetical lane here and look at the five best options for the future if the Ravens and Lamar Jackson can’t come to a deal, and they decide instead to pursue a blockbuster trade (in no particular order)

Lamar Jackson trade destination no. 1: Indianapolis Colts

One team that can’t — or shouldn’t — be counted out of a potential blockbuster trade is the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts have shown a willingness under general manager Chris Ballard to be very aggressive when it comes to making changes to the roster, especially in regards to the quarterback position.

In the last three years, the Colts have:

• Spent big free agent money on Philip Rivers
• Traded for Carson Wentz
• Traded for Matt Ryan

Do we really think that if there’s the possibility of acquiring Lamar Jackson that Ballard won’t be all over it? I’m sure he’d at least try to make a big offer to get Jackson to Indianapolis, which would be smart even just one year into the Matt Ryan experiment. The Colts are currently 0-2, which historically has been horrendous news for teams and their playoff chances.

If Ryan can’t get the Colts to the playoffs, there’s no doubt that this team would try to make some kind of change at the position if an opportunity to get a star presented itself.