Richard Sherman Wants Lamar Jackson to Make Ravens ‘Sit in Uncertainty’ over Tag

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The Baltimore Ravens and quarterback Lamar Jackson were unable to come to terms on a long-term contract extension before this season, and now the quarterback is expected to receive the franchise tag for 2023.

Five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Richard Sherman commented on the matter and said that he hopes Jackson makes the Ravens “sit in uncertainty as long as possible” as a power play for leverage in this situation.

The Ravens and Jackson, who set a Friday deadline to get an extension done before this season, could still work something out before 2023 even if he does get the tag. Franchise-tagged players and teams have until July 15 to get a long-term deal done.

If that deadline passes, then the player has to play on the tag (barring another circumstance like a trade or an outright refusal to play).

Ultimately, Sherman is right. Jackson has guided the Ravens to three AFC North titles in four seasons. He won the NFL MVP in his first year as the full-time starter (2019). The Ravens and Jackson were hindered last year by injuries and tough luck in close games, but the ex-Louisville star still earned a Pro Bowl appearance.

The issue is that Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson just set the market with an astronomical fully guaranteed contract worth $230 million over five years. Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reported that he believes Jackson wants a fully guaranteed contract as well, but the Ravens don’t want to give that to him.

As Sherman noted, though, the precedent is out there for the fully guaranteed deal. At this point, Jackson is betting on himself in hopes of raising his price tag and getting what he wants. If he gets anywhere near his 2019 MVP form, then his value could be astronomical next offseason.