Commanders Make Most Sense of Possible Destinations for Lamar Jackson

As speculation continues about where Jackson will be playing next season, NFL.com’s Adam Schein said the best place for Jackson to be is in Baltimore.

“Teams like the Falcons, Commanders, Dolphins, Panthers, Raiders and 49ers should be knocking down Jackson’s door for his services. Even some teams that aren’t outwardly in the quarterback market — think: Minnesota and Detroit — should kick these tires,” Schein wrote. “On the other hand, Lamar should think long and hard about taking as much money as he can get from the Ravens and ultimately staying put. The franchise is a model of stability, and Jackson’s already a Baltimore sports legend. The grass isn’t always greener — even if the up-front money is richer.”

It’s been reported that Jackson is seeking a fully guaranteed, $230 million deal like Deshaun Watson got from the Cleveland Browns last year (Jackson’s camp refuted that claim, via Stephen A. Smith), but Schein is of the opinion that Watson’s deal is an outlier.

“In the year since, Kyler Murray, Daniel Jones, Derek Carr and Geno Smith have all signed lucrative deals, but their fully guaranteed money hasn’t come close to what Cleveland committed to Deshaun,” Schein wrote. “To be frank, Watson didn’t deserve Watson money. But he found a QB-starved team willing to pony up. Can Jackson, who obviously doesn’t carry Watson’s off-field baggage, follow suit? I’ll be fascinated to see how this plays out in the coming weeks.”

It’s believed the Ravens are likely to match any offers for Jackson, but The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer said a front-loaded offer could damage Baltimore’s chances of retaining him.

“If a team that covets Jackson can stomach losing two first-round picks and offering a potentially historic sum of guaranteed money, its best course of action might be to attack the Ravens where they’re weakest: in 2023 cap space,”…