The Baltimore Ravens are on the brink of getting eliminated from the playoff race, and their star quarterback, Lamar Jackson, is currently battling an injury. They have a game on Saturday against the Packers.
If the Ravens lose, they will be eliminated, and this season will turn out to be a complete failure. Even though the Ravens have been division champions in 2023 and 2024, that’s not what is expected from them.
With a two-time MVP on the roster, the Ravens have been in the Super Bowl conversation for years. Unfortunately, they haven’t even made it to a Super Bowl with Jackson. Now, they have another huge problem coming up in 2026.
The Ravens will have to make a decision on Jackson’s contract next year as it carries a massive cap hit (nearly $75 million) in the next two years. As per an analyst, it may be time for the Ravens to part with the quarterback.
“If we extend him, we’re committing to how many more years of this?” he said on Get Up. “He’s been hurt. Even when he’s been healthy, we haven’t gotten where we want to go with him. I think there’s a conversation.”
Personal bias aside, he’d not hesitate to give thoughts on Jackson’s contract extension in Baltimore. Replacing Jackson isn’t an option for the Ravens, mainly because there’s no talent in the league that he can be replaced with.
Still, in the best interest of the franchise, some tough conversations need to happen in regard to Jackson’s future with the Ravens.
Trading Lamar Jackson Would Reset the Ravens
As of now, the Baltimore franchise is set up to facilitate whatever Jackson does on the field. He is the team’s identity; there are players on the roster solely to help his game, and the team moves according to him.
To simply trade a franchise cornerstone isn’t going to be an option. It will have catastrophic results on their near future, and they will have to rebuild the franchise almost from the ground up. So, that’s nearly out of the picture.
More importantly, trading away Jackson will only become an option when the Ravens have a similar or better talent to bring in. An MVP-level talent can only be replaced by another MVP-level quarterback.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a player one could think of right now who will be a good replacement, and their team would be willing to trade them. If the Ravens get eliminated tomorrow, they will have to figure out a lot of things before the next season.
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