Lamar Jackson will be a Raven plenty more.
The Baltimore quarterback, the NFL’s MVP in 2019, has agreed to a five-year extension.
“You know, for the last few months, there’s been a lot of ‘he says, she says.’ A lot of nail-biting, a lot of head-scratching going on. But for the next five years, it’s a lot of flock going on! Let’s go, baby. Let’s go, man,” Jackson said in a video shared on the Ravens’ Twitter account.
“Can’t wait to get there, can’t wait to be there, can’t wait to light up M&T for the next five years, man. Let’s get it.”
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Jackson, who serves as his own agent, and the team had long been at loggerheads over a contract as he purportedly sought a fully guaranteed deal that superseded the five-year, $230 million contract Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson received last year.
Jackson received a non-exclusive $32 million franchise tag this offseason, which was designed to tie him to the team until a longer deal got done…assuming another club didn’t pry him loose with an offer the Ravens were unwilling to match. Jackson is not believed to have received an outside offer sheet.
The Ravens are scheduled to select 22nd overall Thursday in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft. There had been speculation, partially fueled by GM Eric DeCosta himself, that the team might choose a replacement for Jackson. Obviously, that will no longer be under consideration for a club that’s qualified for the playoffs four times in Jackson’s five NFL seasons.
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Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lamar Jackson contract: Ravens QB lands five-year deal after standoff