Lamar Jackson’s Deadline for Contract Talks Is Week 1

Once the 2022 season starts, Lamar Jackson’s attention will be 100% on football.

Jackson said Saturday that his deadline for getting a contract extension done this year is Week 1 of the regular season, Sept. 11.

“We’re going to be good for the season,” Jackson said.

Asked whether he hoped to have contract talks done by Week 1, Jackson said, “Yeah, for sure.”

Not surprisingly, Jackson didn’t divulge any updates on the negotiations. Both sides have kept that totally in-house. Negotiations seemed to accelerate in June when Jackson reported for minicamp and he and the Ravens have both said they’d like to get a deal done.

As he enters his fifth season, Jackson is set to have a $23 million salary, which fully counts against the Ravens’ salary cap. If the two sides do not reach an extension before the season starts, Baltimore could use its franchise tag on Jackson next offseason.

“The business part of it’s the business part of it,” Head Coach John Harbaugh said Saturday. “I’m very confident that’ll get done when it gets done. You can’t really rush it. I don’t think either side wants to rush anything.

“Both sides want to be happy when it’s all said and done, and probably both sides unhappy, when it’s all said and done, to some degree, right? That’s kind of how it works. But he’s doing a great job. He’s practicing well. He’s a great leader. On the sideline, he’s right into the games. So everything, thumbs up.”