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You’ve heard it from me, by now—whether Baltimore puts the exclusive or nonexclusive tag on Lamar Jackson, which will determine Jackson’s availability, will certainly have an impact on the quarterback market. And so one more time, here’s the way the decision on which tag to use will shape Jackson’s immediate future.
If the Ravens use the exclusive franchise tag, Jackson is effectively off the market. The price on it, as it stands right now (and this can fluctuate through the offseason because it’s based on 2023 numbers), is $45.46 million. If the Ravens intend to keep Jackson, that figure shouldn’t faze them. It’d put the cost of two tags at just over $100 million. And if we presume a new deal would be more than $50 million per year, anyway, well, the exclusive tag would simply frame the contract in that area. That said, it could also upset Jackson, and would make him harder to trade.
