BREAKING: Ravens Prepared to Make Lamar Jackson Highest-Paid Player in NFL History Despite Injury-Plagued Season
BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Ravens are willing to make quarterback Lamar Jackson the highest-paid player in NFL history, according to a report from NFL insider James Palmer, a stunning development that comes just days after the two-time MVP was placed on injured reserve with a season-threatening thumb injury.
Palmer, speaking on NFL on Prime before Thursday night’s game, revealed that the Ravens intend to revisit long-term extension talks with Jackson this offseason and are prepared to reset the quarterback market to keep him in Baltimore.
“For the last two years the Ravens have been trying to get a long-term contract done with Jackson, and they keep pushing money down the road,” Palmer said. “Which is why we’re at $84 million in terms of a cap hit in 2027. They’d like this offseason—because they won’t negotiate during the season with one another—to get a long-term contract done, and I’m told the Ravens are willing to have Jackson be the highest-paid player in NFL history” .
The current benchmark belongs to Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, whose renegotiated eight-year, $504.7 million deal set the standard. Jackson’s next contract would need to surpass that mark in total value or average annual salary to claim the title .
The Contract Conundrum
Jackson, 29, is in the fourth year of a five-year, $260 million extension he signed in 2023 that briefly made him the league’s highest-paid player. That deal now ranks 12th in average annual value at $52 million, and his 2027 cap number is projected to balloon to an untenable $84.34 million .
The structure of Jackson’s contract gives him extraordinary leverage. He negotiated a no-trade clause and a no-franchise-tag clause, meaning the Ravens cannot trade him without his consent or prevent him from reaching free agency after the 2027 season. ESPN’s Adam Schefter described Jackson’s position bluntly: “Lamar Jackson has the power of an NBA player in the NFL and he’s gonna be able to dictate what he wants” .
The $84.34 million cap hit is the second-highest in the league for 2027 behind Mahomes, and the Ravens simply cannot carry that number while building a competitive roster. A restructure or extension is functionally mandatory .
Injury Concerns Mount
The timing of the report is remarkable given Jackson’s health trajectory. He suffered a right thumb injury on the first offensive play of Sunday’s loss to Buffalo, requiring surgery that could end his season. It was his second significant injury of the year, following a high ankle sprain that cost him three games .
Since 2021, Jackson has missed multiple games in four of six seasons. His availability has become a persistent storyline, with critics like Colin Cowherd arguing that his playing style—he has over 200 more rush attempts than any quarterback since entering the league—has accelerated wear and tear.
“Between the moods and the injuries, he has 200 more rushes than any quarterback in the league since he entered it,” Cowherd said. “And annually now, is he practicing? Is he playing? The team doesn’t know” .
Yet when healthy, Jackson remains one of the sport’s most dynamic forces. In four games this season, he completed 70.8 percent of his passes for 967 yards with six touchdowns and one interception, posting a 119.6 passer rating while adding 144 rushing yards . He has two MVP awards, three first-team All-Pro selections, and four Pro Bowl nods to his name.
The Organizational Stance
Despite the injury concerns, the Ravens’ commitment appears unwavering. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport stated this week that he believes “very strongly that Lamar Jackson wants to be in Baltimore, wants to be there long term” and that a deal remains the “No. 1 priority in the offseason” .
Jackson himself has expressed affection for the organization. “I love the Ravens,” he said in May. “I love this organization. I love this city. Just the team that drafted me, you know, got a lot of love from me” .
The financial reality reinforces that sentiment. The Ravens have an NFL-high $366.74 million in 2027 cap commitments with only 45 players under contract, and they hold less than $1.4 million in carryover cap space. Letting Jackson walk would create a $74.8 million dead-cap charge while plunging the franchise into quarterback purgatory .
What Comes Next
The two sides are expected to negotiate between the end of the season and the start of free agency in March 2027 . A four-year deal in the $260 million range—averaging $65 million per year—has been floated by analysts as a realistic framework that would make Jackson the highest-paid player while preserving flexibility for both sides .
For now, Jackson remains on injured reserve, his season in limbo, his future in Baltimore seemingly secure. The Ravens have made their intentions clear: they are prepared to pay whatever it takes to keep the face of their franchise.
Whether that investment pays off in championships or becomes a cautionary tale about paying for past performance rather than future availability remains the defining question of Baltimore’s next half-decade. The Ravens, according to the latest reporting, have already made their choice.
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