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NFL on Prime reporter James Palmer reports that the Baltimore Ravens are willing to make Lamar Jackson the highest-paid player in NFL history. The report says the sides will not negotiate during the season and could pursue a deal after it ends, before free agency begins in March 2027. The contract’s terms and Jackson’s current injury status remain unresolved.
The Baltimore Ravens are willing to make quarterback Lamar Jackson the NFL’s highest-paid player, according to NFL on Prime reporter James Palmer, setting up a potential record deal after the season. Palmer reports the sides will not negotiate during the season; the timing matters as Jackson is carrying a reported $84.34 million salary-cap hit next season and has contractual protections that give him substantial leverage.
The report describes Baltimore’s willingness to pay Jackson at a historic level, but it does not provide a proposed contract, dollar amount, length or guarantee structure. The characterization of a possible deal as record-setting is therefore a reported negotiating position, not an agreement between Jackson and the Ravens. No completed extension or finalized terms were announced in the supplied report.
Palmer’s report says negotiations are expected to take place between the end of the season and the start of free agency, which begins in March 2027. That leaves the Ravens and Jackson with a defined offseason window to address his contract, although the report does not identify a specific meeting date or say when an agreement might be reached.
Jackson’s contract situation is complicated by his reported $84.34 million cap hit for next season. The source says he has both a no-trade clause and a no-franchise-tag clause, limiting Baltimore’s options to trade him or use the franchise tag. Those provisions, alongside the size of the projected cap hit, make a negotiated solution an important issue for the team.
A Record Deal Meets a Major Cap Hit
A contract at the top of the NFL market could have a substantial effect on Baltimore’s salary-cap planning. The reported $84.34 million cap hit gives the team a pressing financial reason to address the agreement, while the report that it is willing to make Jackson the league’s highest-paid player signals that a large commitment is on the table. The source does not explain how a new deal might change the cap figure, so the financial outcome remains unknown.
Jackson’s leverage also matters to the negotiations. With a no-trade clause and no franchise-tag provision, the Ravens cannot rely on those mechanisms in the way a team might with a player lacking such protections. That increases the importance of reaching a mutually acceptable agreement if both sides want to continue together, but it does not establish that an extension is certain.
The timing keeps the matter from becoming an in-season negotiation, according to Palmer. For readers following Baltimore, the immediate news is not a signed contract but a reported willingness to pay at a record level and a likely offseason window to see whether that stance becomes an agreement.
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The Offseason Window for Talks
The source places any new contract discussions after the 2026 season and before free agency begins in March 2027. It does not say whether negotiations have already taken place informally, only that the two sides will not negotiate a new deal in-season. The expected schedule is a report about the parties’ plans, not a guarantee that a contract will be completed by a particular date.
The same report includes extensive updates on Jackson’s recent injuries, including a thumb injury suffered against Buffalo and earlier concerns about an ankle injury. It says head coach Jesse Minter did not rule out a season-ending thumb injury, and that Jackson was expected to undergo surgery and be placed on injured reserve. Those details underscore that his on-field availability is also unsettled; they do not change the reported contract timetable or establish a final diagnosis in the material provided.
The report’s injury coverage says Baltimore had also lost backup quarterback Tyler Huntley to a toe injury and that rookie Joe Fagnano was slated to start on a short week against Jacksonville. These are separate team developments, and the source does not connect Jackson’s injury to the Ravens’ reported willingness to negotiate a record deal.
“The Ravens are willing to make Lamar Jackson the highest-paid player in NFL history.”
— James Palmer, NFL on Prime reporter, as cited in the NBC Sports report
Contract Terms and Jackson’s Health
No contract terms have been reported: the source gives no proposed salary, signing bonus, guarantees, length or structure. It also does not confirm that Jackson has agreed to negotiate on the reported timeline, that formal talks have begun, or that the Ravens have made a written offer. “Willing to make him the highest-paid” describes Palmer’s report of Baltimore’s position, not a completed deal.
Jackson’s health is a separate unresolved issue in the supplied material. It says Minter did not dismiss the possibility of a season-ending thumb injury and that surgery and injured reserve were expected, but it does not provide a final diagnosis, recovery timetable or formal season-ending announcement. The various ankle updates refer to earlier points in the season; they do not establish Jackson’s present condition.
The report also does not explain how Baltimore would handle the projected cap hit or whether a new agreement could reduce or otherwise change it. Those questions will depend on terms that have not been disclosed.
Talks Expected After the Season
According to Palmer’s report, the next expected opportunity for contract negotiations is after the 2026 season and before free agency starts in March 2027. The key developments to watch are whether the parties begin formal talks, whether Baltimore presents specific terms, and whether Jackson agrees to an extension.
Separately, the Ravens are expected to provide further information about Jackson’s thumb surgery and recovery. The supplied report does not establish when the team will announce his season status. Until the team confirms his diagnosis and timetable, his availability should be treated as unresolved.
For now, the confirmed development is a report of Baltimore’s willingness to pay at a record level—not a signed extension. The contract’s value, structure, completion date and effect on the team’s cap remain unknown.
Key Questions
Have the Ravens and Lamar Jackson agreed to a new contract?
No. The report says Baltimore is willing to make Jackson the NFL’s highest-paid player, but it does not report an agreement, offer or finalized terms.
When are the Ravens and Jackson expected to negotiate?
NFL on Prime reporter James Palmer says they will not negotiate during the season and are expected to pursue talks after the season and before free agency in March 2027.
What is Jackson’s reported salary-cap hit next season?
The supplied report lists a $84.34 million salary-cap hit for next season. It does not explain how a new contract might alter that figure.
What contract protections does Jackson have?
The report says Jackson has a no-trade clause and a no-franchise-tag clause. It gives no further detail about how those provisions would apply in future negotiations.
Is Jackson’s season over because of his thumb injury?
The supplied material does not confirm that his season is over. It says Minter did not rule out that possibility and that surgery and injured reserve were expected, but a final diagnosis and recovery timeline were not provided.
Source: nbcsports.com
