The Baltimore Ravens crashed out of the playoffs in the first round and now face a massive question mark heading into the offseason — what to do with Lamar Jackson.
The latest: Jackson is still without a contract and will likely be slapped with a franchise tag if the two sides can't come to an agreement before the March 7 deadline. It seems probable that the 2019 MVP returns to Baltimore but there will be several teams — including the New York Jets — that could offer up enticing trade packages.
Check out the latest Lamar Jackson next team odds.
Lamar Jackson next team odds
Check out the latest odds on which team Lamar Jackson will play for next. Click linked odds below to add selection to your betslip.
| Team | Odds (Jan. 30) |
| Baltimore Ravens | -225 |
| Atlanta Falcons | +500 |
| New York Jets | +500 |
| Any other team | +1,000 |
| Carolina Panthers | +1,400 |
Odds as of 9:24 a.m. ET on 01/30/2023.
Best odds to land Lamar Jackson
The favourite: Ravens (-225)
The Ravens can essentially force Jackson to remain with the team if they hit him with an exclusive franchise tag before March 7.
That would have him locked into a fully-guaranteed deal equal to either 120 percent of Jackson's current salary or the average of the top-five salaries at the quarterback position.
Now, Jackson could go the Le'Veon Bell route and refuse to sign the tag. But he would have to sit out the entire season and that seems unlikely.
.@mspears96 tells Lamar Jackson to just go to Cabo and relax if the Ravens don't give him a guaranteed contract 😂 pic.twitter.com/3IfoxYCt7x
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) January 18, 2023
In an ideal world, the agent-less Jackson and Baltimore would reach a long-term agreement. But with the star QB wanting Deshaun Watson-type guaranteed money, that could be difficult.
With all that said, returning to the Ravens would make sense.
Jackson reached the top of his game with the Ravens and the team has been highly successful when he's on the field. Baltimore has also built its entire offensive system around the former MVP, so letting him walk would be ill-advised.
John Harbaugh has also emphatically stated that Jackson will be Baltimore's quarterback next season and added that the signal caller will have input on who they hire as offensive coordinator.
At the end of the day, this is a game of chicken and it seems likely the Ravens will crack at some point.
Next best odds to land Lamar Jackson
New York Jets (+500): There might be no team that needs a quarterback more than the Jets.
Zach Wilson was benched not once, but twice this season, making the 2021 No. 2 overall pick look more and more like a bust with each passing day.
The Jets' defence ranked top five in scoring (18.6) and yards allowed (311.1) but that didn't matter much as the offence averaged the fourth-fewest PPG of any team in the league (17.4).
Should the Jets be doing everything in their power to acquire Lamar Jackson this off-season???
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) January 17, 2023
𝗪𝗲 𝗜𝗻 𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗲 𝗢𝘂𝘁?@JasonMcCourty pic.twitter.com/V0eEbXTVVt
New York has the draft capital to make a trade like this happen and will need an elite quarterback to compete with the likes of Josh Allen and Tua Tagovailoa.
The idea of playing for the Jets should also intrigue Jackson. He'd be throwing the ball to Garrett Wilson, Corey Davis and Elijah Moore. That's more talent on the outside than he ever had on the Ravens, not to mention a running back room consisting of Breece Hall and Michael Carter.
Teams to watch
Atlanta Falcons (+500): The Falcons share 5-to-1 odds with the Jets to obtain Jackson's services.
Atlanta had one of the league's best ground games with Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder under centre. Plugging Jackson into that system could make them borderline unstoppable.
The Dirty Birds also have something most teams don't — cap space and plenty of it. This could satisfy Jackson's longing for a heavily guaranteed long-term deal. A weak NFC South could also embolden owner Arthur Blank to fork over that kind of money.
If Jackson is slapped with a non-exclusive franchise tag, Atlanta's offer could be the most enticing considering the Falcons have the No. 8 pick in the 2023 draft.
Carolina Panthers (+1,400): Another NFC South team might be knocking on Baltimore's door in the coming months.
The Carolina Panthers finished their year off strong under interim head coach Steve Wilks and could be in a solid spot to contend for a divisional title next season.
That's if they figure out the quarterback position, of course.
Carolina started the likes of Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and P.J. Walker this season. That's far from a three-headed monster.
Jackson would slot in nicely alongside skill position players like DJ Moore and D'Onta Foreman. David Tepper is also the league's wealthiest owner, which could make Jackson's hefty contract more palatable.
To make matters even more interesting, the Panthers h Firedrank Reich as their head coach on January 26.