Jackson won't get Ravens extension before season — SkimNews

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- Lamar Jackson has not held substantive discussions with the Ravens on a long-term extension, and no deal is expected before Sunday's opener against the Indianapolis Colts.
- Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti has publicly said he wants Jackson back and is willing to make him the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history, with many around the league believing Jackson could become the NFL's first $70 million-per-year player.
- Jackson, 29, is currently in the fourth year of a five-year, $260 million contract that included $185 million guaranteed and runs through next season.
- Jackson's 2027 salary cap hit will balloon to $84.3 million, and the Ravens are projected to be roughly $40 million over the salary cap that year — making an extension one of the most logical forms of cap relief.
- Jackson told reporters Tuesday that "winning it all" is how he would define a successful 2026 season, but said the team doesn't talk among themselves about winning a Super Bowl.
- Jackson is the only active player with multiple MVP awards to not win a Super Bowl, posting a 76-31 (.710) regular-season record as a starter since 2018 but just 3-5 in the playoffs.
Why it matters: The Ravens are ready to make Jackson the richest QB in football, but Jackson himself isn't engaging — and his $84.3 million 2027 cap hit against a team already projected $40 million over the cap means the standoff will force a reckoning by next offseason, reshaping Baltimore's ability to build a roster around him.
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