Every year, the coaching carousel precedes the quarterback carousel. There is one quarterback that can turn everything into a rollercoaster.
It is too early to assume that Lamar Jackson will definitely be back with the Ravens in 2026. He may not be happy with the head coach’s selection. Likewise, the team and Jackson may fail to find an acceptable contract extension before the start of free agency. Or Jackson might be ready for a fresh start, after eight years with one team.
Last month’s column from Mike Preston of The Baltimore Sunwhich stirred things up (and which was true in many ways), mentioned two possible places for Jackson: Miami and Las Vegas.
Tua Tagovailoa’s contract, with $54 million guaranteed through 2026 and a $99 million cap hit, will make it very difficult for the Dolphins to offer Jackson a market-rate deal, even if there is a sense in league circles that he would like to return to his hometown of Miami.
The Raiders are a different story. They have cap space. They may have money. And they hold the first overall pick in the draft.
Some wonder if it can do that. The first pick, which would give the Ravens a direct shot at quarterback Fernando Mendoza (or the ability to trade the pick for a king’s ransom), is for the now 29-year-old and injury-prone two-time MVP.
Regardless of the cost (and it’s unclear if Jackson would have other suitors, since no one called when he was available under the non-exclusive franchise tag three years ago), the Raiders need to make a splash. Adding Jackson could attract other free agents to the city. And it could go a long way in getting the current star players (Maxx Crosby and Brock Bowers) to stop wondering if their talents are being wasted by a perpetual bencher.
The key to a possible trade for Jackson, from the perspective of the Raiders, is young owner Tom Brady. Although Brady managed to (somehow) avoid taking public flak for the franchise’s biggest failure in 2025, he’s now front and center. If 2026 goes like 2025, Brady’s expensive leather-watch collection will be completed with a dunce cap for the office.
Yes, crows must be willing to pull the trigger. More importantly, Jackson would have more control over the process, as well as the outcome.
Earlier this week, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti explained that, while Jackson will be instrumental in the coach’s eventual hiring, “[H]e has no power. I have strength.” As for Lamar’s future in Baltimore, Lamar has potential.
He has the ability to reject any/all offers a team might make on an extension, opt to play out the next two years, walk away with a bunch of dead money when he wakes up, and become a free agent (his contract has a no-tag clause). Jackson also has leverage over any trade possibilities, as his contract includes a no-trade clause. (Obviously, that doesn’t mean he can’t be traded; it means he can only be traded if he chooses not to.)
In theory, the Raiders and Ravens (or someone else and the Ravens) could agree to the terms of the Lamar Jackson trade at any time, with the understanding that it will be completed by March 11, the first day of the league year. If Brady wants to take a big swing and if Jackson is ready to take his bat and ball to a new city, it’s something to keep an eye on.
If it’s going to happen, it may (and arguably should) go quickly. With both the Raiders and Ravens looking for new coaches, Lamar’s future will be a big factor in the entire search.
