Lamar Jackson has sought a new contract from the Baltimore Ravens, and a longtime ESPN analyst thinks the star defender should refuse to play in the regular season if he doesn’t get it.
Stephen A. Smith was asked in Tuesday’s edition of “First Take” if he thinks Jackson should play in Week 1 with no new deal. He said former NFL MVP would be a fool to do that.
“Nothing. Not even a little bit,” Smith said. “I think that would be one of the dumbest things he could do. … We understand that last year when you sat out four games. the last is not the first time you have had an injury in your career You have had many injuries in your career Something may end your season Something may end It’s not like you hurt your arm or your shoulder – no no, brother, you hurt those wheels. Electric wheels that we haven’t seen from quarterback in the calendar. game history. You went down with an ankle injury.”
Smith believes Jackson would risk his entire future if he played in a competitive game again without signing an extension. He said it would be a “serious mistake to roll those dice and take those opportunities”.
Jackson has no representation and represents himself. Smith also criticized him for it and said that the two-time Pro Bowler athlete shouldn’t be trying to save money by negotiating his own deal.
There’s no indication Jackson will refuse to compete in Week 1 if he and Raven can’t come to an agreement. Even so, he informed the group that he won’t negotiate when the regular season starts. If Jackson takes a tough stance, he’s likely to get the franchise next season.
Naturally, Jackson is seeking a deal equivalent to the guaranteed $230 million Deshaun Watson received from the Cleveland Browns. While the Ravens may not be ready to reach such a high level, they have informed Jackson that they are ready for him. a bigger contract than another big one that QB signed recently.
