QB Lamar Jackson has announced, via Twitter, his request for a trade from the Baltimore Ravens. In the tweet, he said that he had filed the request on March 2nd after continued talks about a long-term deal with the Ravens had fallen through.
“…the Ravens has not been interested in meeting my value; any and everyone that’s has met me or been around me know I love the game of football, and my dream is to help a team win the super bowl. You all are great, but I had to make a business decision that was best for my family and me,” said Jackson via Twitter.
Jackson went on to thank the Baltimore fans for their support; and promised that he would always have a special place in his heart for Baltimore. The announcement came after a more than a year-long public battle between Jackson and higher-ups to agree on a long-term deal. As of right now, QB Lamar Jackson is still under a non-exclusive franchise tag, which enables other teams to start negotiations to trade for him.
However, the market does not seem extremely receptive to Lamar Jackson. Patriots owner Robert Kraft mentioned a line of communication between himself and rapper Meek Mill, whose friends Jackson and stumped for him. Kraft ultimately deferred the decision to Bill Belichick. Teams with an even deeper need for a strong quarterback room also declined: The Commanders said they are at peace with Sam Howell and Jacoby Brissett; the Jets are moving forward with their ambitions to trade for Aaron Rodgers; and the Colts entertained the idea, but they just signed Gardner Minshew.
The trepidation to sign him is understandable, considering the cost of acquiring the 26-year-old former MVP would be early-round draft picks.
The news of the tweet came just as Baltimore Ravens head coach, Jim Harbaugh, was sitting down for the AFC coach’s breakfast. Addressing the comments, he avoided the social media scrum and remained hopeful the Ravens would continue with Jackson:
“I haven’t seen the tweet. It’s an ongoing process…I’m following it very closely, just like everyone else here. I’m looking forward to a resolution.”
“I’m pretty fired up about Lamar Jackson. Lamar Jackson is a great player. Lamar came back in great shape last year. He’s fired up to play. That’s the Lamar that I’m looking forward to seeing.”
