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The Baltimore Ravens resisted attempts by other teams to trade for Lamar Jackson while embroiled in a contract dispute with the former MVP in 2023. Nearly three years later, however, those same rumors have started up again.
The massive five-year, $260 million deal signed by Jackson in 2023 carries a whopping $74.5 million cap hit in 2026, raising more questions than answers about the Ravens' salary cap situation next season and beyond.
While Jackson may seem to be one of the most untouchable players in the NFL, those cap concerns and his injury-riddled 2025 season have some rumors starting to swirl.
Are there any credibility to those rumors? Here's what you need to know about the potential for a Jackson trade in the offseason.
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Did Lamar Jackson request a trade?
There is no indication Jackson has requested a trade, or that he might be planning to do so.
Trade rumors surrounding Jackson are largely just informed speculation at this point, coming from reports by the Baltimore Sun and ESPN. The Baltimore Sun claims the Ravens have grown frustrated with Jackson's approach and stubbornness, while an ESPN report doesn't make the claim that a trade is likely but points out that Baltimore has to address Jackson's massive cap hit for 2026 this offseason.
With two years remaining on his contract, Jackson is set to be the Ravens' starting quarterback in 2026 unless one side wants to move on. At this time, it isn't clear either side wants to move on.
Here are more details on the trade rumors surrounding the two-time MVP quarterback.
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Lamar Jackson trade rumors
Rumors began surfacing after a column from the Baltimore Sun's Mike Preston, who alleged Jackson is beginning to frustrate the Ravens. "It’s clear that coach John Harbaugh has become tired of Jackson, even though he builds him up after every game," Preston said, suggesting that a change could be on the horizon.
Preston reported Jackson "would love to play in Miami," where the Dolphins coincidentally are expected to be looking for a new quarterback this offseason.
Asked about the story, Harbaugh said he and Jackson have an "A-plus" relationship and warned not to "take too much credence in anonymous-type sources." Harbaugh also flatly denied Preston's specific allegation that Jackson fell asleep during a team meeting.
It might be easy to dismiss those words as late-season fodder meant to artificially generate some buzz, but ESPN's Dan Graziano echoed the idea that the Ravens can't just sit still this offseason with Jackson's massive cap hit approaching:
I'm still not sure how likely it is that there's a change here, but the Ravens have to do something with Lamar Jackson's contract or move on. He has two years left at $51.25 million per year in base salary, but none of his remaining money is guaranteed -- and the cap hit for next year balloons to $74.5 million. The Ravens need to extend him to get that cap hit down, or else they need to trade him, which obviously would open up yet another QB1 position for next season. Jackson has a no-trade clause, so he'd have some say in this if the Ravens decided to explore options.
Of course, if the Ravens want Jackson to be their quarterback long-term, they could try to sign him to a new extension that spreads out that cap hit and makes it more digestible. After all, Jackson only has two years remaining on his contract.
The first series of negotiations between Jackson and the Ravens were challenging, though. The two sides couldn't agree to a long-term deal until more than two years after Jackson first became extension-eligible.
At the time, Jackson saw himself as a former MVP, while the Ravens were aware of how he ended back-to-back seasons injured after winning an MVP award. The same dynamic could be at play in 2026, with Jackson potentially seeing himself as a player who nearly won back-to-back MVPs in 2023 and 2024 but Baltimore seeing him as the player who battled numerous nagging injuries in 2025.
There is no indication Jackson wants to be traded or that the Ravens are planning to make a move, but there is enough smoke to make it a storyline worth monitoring.
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Lamar Jackson contract
Jackson signed a five-year, $260 million contract extension with $185 million guaranteed in April of 2023.
The deal came after two years of negotiations, which ultimately forced Baltimore to use the franchise tag on Jackson in 2023. Jackson initially asked for a fully-guaranteed deal, similar to the one Deshaun Watson received from the Cleveland Browns in 2022.
While rumors of a trade or even a team giving up draft picks to sign Jackson away from the non-exclusive franchise tag swirled, Jackson and the Ravens hammered out a new deal on the first day of the 2023 NFL Draft. That deal runs through 2027 and carries a $74.5 million cap hit in both 2026 and 2027, so it's difficult to restructure and lessen the cap hit without adding additional years.
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