Ravens' DeCosta 'Optimistic' on Lamar Jackson Extension Before March
Jackson's $52M average now ranks just 11th among QBs. Baltimore wants a new deal done before March — here's what it means for your roster.
Contract talk doesn't change his elite floor — keep rostering him.
- Current deal: 5 yrs, $260M signed in 2023
- $84.34M cap hit looming for 2027
- $52M/yr average now ranks 11th at QB
- 233 PPR pts across 13 games in 2025
- 0 INT thrown in 2025 (2,549 pass yds)
Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said Wednesday he's optimistic about locking Lamar Jackson into a contract extension before March, adding that he feels good about where things stand. He wouldn't get into specifics, pointing to the unusual nature of the talks — Jackson famously negotiates without an agent, and the two of them have an agreement to keep business off the public record.
There's real financial logic pushing this. Jackson's five-year, $260 million deal from 2023 still has two years left, but it comes with a hefty $84.34 million cap hit in 2027. He was the NFL's highest-paid player when he signed it; his $52 million annual average now sits just 11th at the position. In other words, the market has caught up, and Baltimore has an incentive to restructure before that cap number bites.
DeCosta didn't tip his hand beyond the optimism, repeating a line he's used plenty of times about not discussing negotiations publicly. That's classic Ravens front-office discipline. For our purposes, the takeaway isn't the dollar figures — it's that both sides clearly want a long-term future together, which removes any lingering doubt about Jackson's role in Baltimore.
Why This Matters for Fantasy
Contract certainty is a quiet asset for fantasy managers. A quarterback locked into his franchise, with the front office signaling commitment, isn't going anywhere and isn't a holdout risk. Jackson finished 2025 with 233 PPR points across just 13 games — 2,549 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, zero interceptions, plus 349 rushing yards and two scores on the ground. The zero-INT line is the eye-opener: he protected the ball at an elite level.
He sits at QB18 and No. 39 overall in our rankings, which honestly undersells the ceiling given the missed time last year. The one flag worth noting: his last five games of 2025 ran 3.7 fantasy points below his season average, so his late-season form dipped. That's more likely a health-and-schedule blip than a decline, but keep an eye on it heading into the new campaign.
Bottom line: hold Jackson with confidence. The extension chatter is good news dressed up as boring news — it confirms his home, his role, and his rushing upside for years to come. If a nervous manager in your league wants to sell on the late-season slide, that's your cue to buy, not bail.
