Falcons star Calais Campbell calls on Joe Burrow to join Lamar Jackson fight after Jalen Hurts extension - "Hard thing to do"
Lamar Jackson has been seeking a long-term contract extension with a massive portion of guaranteed money from the Baltimore Ravens during the 2023 NFL offseason. The team has declined to give him what he's looking for so far and instead placed their non-exclusive franchise tag on their superstar quarterback.
Frustrations may be building with Jackson, especially after Jalen Hurts just signed a record-breaking contract extension with the Philadelphia Eagles. His five-year deal is worth up to $255 million, making him the highest-paid player in NFL history by AAV.
It remains unclear if Jackson will sign his franchise tag tender or continue to hold out for a new contract like Hurts' while threatening to sit out the 2023 NFL season. His former teammate, Calais Campbell, who recently joined the Atlanta Falcons, chimed in on Jackson's current situation.
Here's what Campbell had to say in a recent interview with Josina Anderson on "The Crew" podcast:
"I think when it's a one-man battle like him, Lamar is on a guaranteed contract, then they will get done, you know, and I think that Jalen Hurts deal was a phenomenal deal. And I understand why he took it. But if Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, you know, Joe Burrow will say, 'Hey, we're not playing football until we get guaranteed contracts,' guranteed contracts will happen.
"But that's kind of a hard thing to do because it's like, if I'm Jalen Hurts, I know I'm going to make all this money, like all 255, because I'm a quarterback."
S2e39 CLIP #1: ATL @CalaisCampbell on Lamar Jackson:
"I think, he's kinda misunderstood."
"If...Lamar Jackson, Justin Herbert & Joe Burrow say we're not playing... until we get guaranteed contracts, guaranteed contracts will happen."
P: apple.co/3MY5zOu
@clarencehilljr https://t.co/cz67fg3kbu
Lamar Jackson is not only seeking a large contract for himself, but appears to be trying to set the market for what a quarterback is worth. Calais Campbell believes that if he wants to do so, he may need support from other superstar quarterbacks on the verge of new contract extensions.
He used Joe Burrow as an example as he's fully expected to receive one of the largest contracts in NFL history. If Jackson and Burrow join forces, they could change the way contracts are negotiated. Deshaun Watson may have started the process last year, and Lamar Jackson could be seeking a similar fully-guaranteed structure, as Calais Campbell suggested.
Lamar Jackson could look to follow in the footsteps of Deshaun Watson's unique contract
Deshaun Watson set an NFL record during the 2022 offseason last year by signing the largest fully-guaranteed contract ever. His five-year deal is worth $230 million with 100% of it coming in guraranteed money. While many around the NFL consider this deal an outlier to the current market for quarterbacks, Lamar Jackson may be using it as a bargaining chip in his own negotiations.
Jackson has already won an NFL MVP award, while setting a single-season record for the most rushing yards by a quarterback. He has also helped the Ravens make multiple playoff appearances. He has a legitimate case to be paid more than Watson as his accomplishments are superior, but it's unclear if any NFL owner is willing to continue the trend of handing out massive fully-guaranteed contracts.