Ravens' Lamar Jackson gets bold $70M contract projection that is actually possible

The Baltimore Ravens were not able to work out a long-term deal with Lamar Jackson before the start of the 2026 NFL season.

That might end up looking like a mistake, especially if he continues to play as well as he did in Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts for the rest of the season. Jackson and the Ravens put up 41 points, about as good a start to the year as possible.

That Week 1 blowout has given ESPN's Dan Graziano enough evidence to project that Jackson could get a $70 million per-year contract that'd smash the current record. While it's a bold projection, it's not that unrealistic.

Lamar Jackson gets $70M per-year contract projection that's not unrealistic

"Lamar Jackson could get $70 million per year on his next contract," Graziano writes. "Verdict: NOT AN OVERREACTION."

Currently, the record-holder for an NFL contract on a per-year basis is Patrick Mahomes with the Kansas City Chiefs. He's making $64 million per year.

Jackson in Week 1 against the Colts went 17-for-25 for 324 yards and one touchdown with seven rushes for 40 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

After such a strong start, Jackson has the momentum needed to try for $70 million per season. It's a lot more money, but for someone as good as Jackson, any amount would be worth keeping him in Baltimore.

While he's already likely to surpass the record of $64 million per-year, especially with Baker Mayfield getting to $55 million this offseason, Jackson could have an even higher amount in mind.

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Landing a $70 million per-year deal would be quite the haul. Four years, $280 million, is a massive amount of money. But so long as it's not all guaranteed like Deshaun Watson's deal was for the Cleveland Browns, it shouldn't cripple the Ravens.

If they add on void years at the end of the contract and push some of the cap hits into the future, the Ravens could sign Jackson to a record-breaking deal while still having enough cap space to build a competitive roster around him.

There's risk, but as Jackson reminded everyone within Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season, his ceiling is sky-high. Another MVP could be in store, and if he can win that while also making a deep playoff run, a $70M per-year deal might look like a bargain.

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