One would think that a former MVP quarterback in the prime of his career would be a hotter commodity amongst NFL franchises, but it appears that teams are already saying “no, thank you” to Lamar Jackson.
The relationship between Jackson and the Ravens has long been severed, and it was revealed early this week that he requested a trade back on March 2nd. His desire to play elsewhere has become apparent though his contract dispute and issues over availability, though nothing disparaging has been said by either side.
Patriots And Falcons Are Out On Lamar Jackson
Patriots will not pursue Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson: Source
via @TheAthletic https://t.co/Wr3ZC4WQEz
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) March 29, 2023
That is, until Jackson broke the silence with his tweet on Monday morning, thanking the fans of Baltimore.
Will the Ravens trade him? The odds say that Lamar Jackson will be starting for a new team in 2023, and there are favorites that the sports books have picked out. The Indianapolis Colts have long been listed as the team with the shortest odds, and they may get even shorter given the news coming out of Atlanta and New England today.
Both the Falcons and Patriots were listed in the top-5 of teams most likely to land the QB, but they are both apparently out on the idea.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank made a definitive statement on the situation on Tuesday, saying that his team has concerns over Jackson’s injury history given his style of play. Atlanta was one of the teams that reportedly got priced out of the Deshaun Watson sweepstakes last off-season, and if Jackson is looking for a similar contract, he’d better look elsewhere.
Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank explained why they are not attempting to acquire Lamar Jackson. pic.twitter.com/6FxRgd6bTJ
— ESPN (@espn) March 29, 2023
Teams Afraid Of Trade Package And Contract Demands
The Patriots have taken their names out of the running, as well. A league source told The Athletic’s Jeff Howe that New England was not interested, despite their own questions at quarterback. The franchise spent years with Tom Brady taking pay cuts in order to fill out the roster around him, and it is doubtful that they would shell out the money that it would take to get Jackson to Foxboro.
There would also be the price tag that it would take to acquire him in the first place, a package that would likely cost a team at least two first round picks. Despite how great of a player he may be, there is little reason to believe that either Bill Belichick or Robert Kraft is interested in giving up the necessary capital.
The entire situation regarding Lamar Jackson is odd and nearly unprecedented. There are teams quite literally cowering away from even the thought of adding him to their rosters, and much of it has to do with the price tag.
