Ravens GM Asked Whether He Was Surprised How Teams Handled Lamar Jackson Availability

The Ravens signed quarterback Lamar Jackson to a contract extension last week after a back-and-forth negotiation process that left the star’s future in Baltimore in doubt.

Now, Jackson has a new five-year deal that comes on the heels of the team placing the non-exclusive franchise tag on him, which allowed the quarterback to negotiate a deal with other teams in exchange for two first-round picks if Baltimore didn’t match the opposing teams’ offer sheet.

Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta told ProFootballTalk on Wednesday that he was pleased to work something out with Jackson.

“We know who we are with Lamar Jackson at quarterback,” DeCosta said. “We know what our record is. We know we’re going to be a tough team to beat every season with Lamar out there on the field. We’re going to be a playoff team with Lamar Jackson with some good players around him and you know, I’m glad obviously.”

Was DeCosta surprised that Jackson didn’t have more suitors? 

“Was I surprised? Probably a little bit,” DeCosta said. “But in the end, every team has to look at who they are, how they’re built, what’s important to them. I always feel like one of the advantages to free agency is when you have a guy on your team, you know exactly who he is, you know how he’s wired, you know what’s important to him. Other teams don’t know that, you know? And so that’s why in my mind, free agency is always a little bit dicey because here we are coveting other players on other teams, and we don’t know very much about them. A lot of times we try to find out, but we don’t. We know Lamar Jackson. We know how he’s wired. We know what resonates with him. We know how competitive he is. And so, for us, it was a no-brainer.”

Ultimately for Jackson and the Ravens, the offseason saga concluded with a five-year, $260 million extension with $185 million in guaranteed money. The contract made Jackson the highest-paid player in the NFL.