The 2024 season was with the Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson in all aspects, but the conference round took away everything. A considerable chunk chanted ‘Lamar s—-‘ in the playoffs, and that’s what he wanted to change. But the Bills overpowered them. However, the Ravens are preparing hard for the 2025 season to not repeat the same and bring home the Lombardi this time. And before the 2025 season gets underway, Lamar Jackson might have some good news coming his way.
The Ravens Nation posted a massive update for the 28-year-old on May 13. Their X post says, “The Ravens ‘would love’ to get an extension done with Lamar Jackson before the season kicks off in September, per @TheAthletic.” When the 2023 season was about to start, the franchise placed the non-exclusive tag on the quarterback, which basically permitted him to enter into negotiations with other teams, but the Ravens retained the right to match any offer or receive two first-round picks as compensation, provided he signed somewhere else.
But as fate would have it, the franchise gave him the due relief and signed him to a five-year extension, making him the highest-paid QB in history. And if The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec is to be believed, then the “Ravens would love to reach an agreement on an extension with Jackson before the start of this season that would create a more tenable cap situation next year and beyond.”
Though there have been confidential conversations between the quarterback and DeCosta this offseason, we don’t know what’s brewing behind the scenes. But if there is an extension underway, then it could benefit the franchise as well because his cap balloons to $74.5 million next year. However, if the team chooses to extend his contract for now, they can push back some of that from $74.5 million.
Further, on May 13, the Ravens HC John Harbaugh also said, “There have been conversations about that internally, I know. How far along that is or whatever, I don’t know, but I definitely think it’s an obvious point that you’re making.” He also added, “That’s going to continue to have to be addressed, really with all those guys. You just have to kind of manage that dance – the salary cap dance – and Lamar is the main part of that, because he’s the franchise player. That’s a possibility. Sooner or later, that’s definitely going to have to happen.” It is likely that Lamar Jackson may get another five-year deal, but this time, the value of it may be higher.
The Ravens “would love” to get an extension done with Lamar Jackson before the season kicks off in September, per @TheAthletic. pic.twitter.com/u3cWQhM9kC
— Ravens Nation 𝙇𝙄𝙑𝙀 (@LIVERavenNation) May 13, 2025
Currently, Lamar is under a five-year, $260,000,000 contract, which will end in 2027. And we can expect that the coming deal will be significant for the quarterback. For now, Lamar should be focusing only on landing touchdowns and improving to lead the team to the playoffs. And while his contract talks are likely underway, the Ravens signed a star college football defender.
Lamar Jackson’s Ravens signed UNC pass rusher
Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reported on May 13 that the Baltimore Ravens signed North Carolina Tar Heels pass rusher Kaimon Rucker. He was available in the 2025 NFL draft, but no NFL team picked him up. Then came the Ravens, who decided to sign this defensive beast as an undrafted free agent. Before signing this deal, Rucker attended a rookie minicamp with the Eagles, but unfortunately, the team didn’t select him.
The 23-year-old edge has played for North Carolina. However, in 2024, unfortunately, Rucker fractured his fibula, bringing his time with the Tar Heels to a tragic end. But if we look at his stats, the pass rusher has tremendous potential. He had 30 tackles before leaving the college football gridiron in 2024 and before his injury. But 2023 was a great season for him as he landed 61 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and made 8.5 sacks. That’s impressive, right?
So, it’s going to be a huge asset for Lamar Jackson’s team to have a defensive player like Rucker on board. His presence could bring a new level of intensity and depth to the defensive squad, potentially elevating their overall performance. Let’s see how he adapts and performs during training camp, which will be a crucial period for evaluating his fit within the system. If he impresses there, it could set the stage for a breakout role in the 2025 season.
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