In a time through which extra persons are realizing the significance of self-care and self-worth, among the best quarterbacks within the NFL is in a state of affairs along with his employer that highlights the wrestle that oftentimes comes with attaining self-sufficiency. The Baltimore Ravens don’t wish to pay Lamar Jackson — the second unanimous MVP in NFL historical past — his asking worth, and it’s all as a result of one of many worst franchises within the league perpetually modified the marketplace for quarterbacks.

Losers love messing it up for everyone else.

In response to a current report from ESPN, each supply that the Ravens have made to Jackson has been returned with a counteroffer from No. 8 that’s totally assured. Test this out:

“Jackson — who has vowed to not communicate publicly about his contract for the reason that begin of the 2022 common season — needs a totally assured deal in keeping with the five-year, $230 million contract the Cleveland Browns gave Deshaun Watson in March. The Ravens, in the meantime, are balking at guaranteeing the complete quantity, based on crew sources. Jackson turned down a five-year, $250 million contract in September that included $133 million assured — far lower than Watson’s deal, however greater than the assured figures awarded to Russell Wilson ($124 million) and Kyler Murray ($103.3 million) final offseason.”

How we received right here

Earlier than we go additional, we must always clarify how we received right here. Again in 2018, Kirk Cousins modified the sport when he signed a three-year, $84 million deal. At the moment it made him the highest-paid participant in soccer historical past, together with being the one quarterback to ever get a multi-year, fully-guaranteed deal.

Cousins is most notably recognized for being a meme.

After which got here one thing no one noticed coming. In March of 2022, the Cleveland Browns determined that they had been going to provide a man who sat out a 12 months of soccer and who had over 20-plus civil fits in opposition to him as a consequence of allegations of sexual misconduct and sexual assault — Deshaun Watson (who has maintained his innocence) — a five-year, $230 million assured contract.

Watson was among the best quarterbacks within the league. Effectively, that was earlier than all of the “off-the-field stuff.”

Now, do you see why some of the electrifying gamers in NFL historical past who was as soon as the league’s passing landing chief (2019), and who’s one in every of solely 4 Black quarterbacks to ever win MVP, needs a fully-guaranteed deal that’s higher than Watson’s?

If sports activities is meant to be a meritocracy, then a lesser participant shouldn’t be making greater than a greater one.

“Simply because the Browns had been determined doesn’t imply that the Ravens are,” a high-ranking NFL govt stated in ESPN’s report. “They’re a secure franchise. They aren’t about to leap at one thing simply because Cleveland did it.”

When the Ravens took Jackson with the thirty second total decide of the 2018 NFL Draft, they dedicated to him by altering their whole offense and philosophy to suit his skillset — and it labored. Jackson is 46-19 throughout his tenure in Baltimore together with the common season and playoffs.

Throughout the 2022 season, a brand new file was set as 64 totally different quarterbacks began all year long, because it’s a testomony to how essential the place is, and the way beneficial franchise gamers are at that spot.

Baltimore has one in every of them in Lamar Jackson. And regardless of the video games he’s missed as a consequence of damage, the good ones perceive his price. The NFL is a league of the haves and have-nots, and the groups with franchise quarterbacks are likely to have extra success than those that don’t. However, for some motive, the entrance workplace in Baltimore is taking part in a harmful sport of chicken with one of many league’s finest gamers all as a result of some idiots in Cleveland gave one of many NFL’s most poisonous gamers a greater deal.

Omar Little as soon as stated, “you come on the king, you finest not miss.” And if the Ravens don’t determine this factor out, it’ll be as a result of their goal was off.