“Soldiers of capitalism” – Lamar Jackson’s $133M standoff continues to elicit strong reactions from experts and fans
As the tampering period begins in NFL, Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens remain in a weird situation regarding his contract. The quarterback received a non-exclusive franchise tag from the team, which means he's available to sign an offer sheet with any team, but the Ravens have the right to match the deal or get two first-round picks instead.
The situation feels weird because, in recent years, fully guaranteed contracts were twice offered to quarterbacks who deserved less than Jackson -- Kirk Cousins in free agency in 2018 and Deshaun Watson in 2022 following a full year out of the league.
Domonique Foxworth joined Bomani Jones on his "Game Theory" show on HBO to discuss the whole drama with Jackson's contract.
Jones said, "And the point that you and I had both made, all this time, was he'll definitely be back with the Ravens, because the Ravens aren't stupid. Are the Ravens stupid?"
Foxworth said, "I would like to say 'no' because they give me a big check at one point in time, so I think they're a smart organization [laughs]. But the thing that drives me crazy about this Lamar Jackson thing, and it happens every time, is I'm reminded how much y'all are haters and how much it disgusts me at the core of my being, that people are finding ways to argue how somebody who has overcome tremendous odds - and that goes for everyone in the NFL -, why they don't deserve a certain amount of money, why they haven't earned. And this makes me so angry, because that's, like, the soldiers of capitalism."
Why does Lamar Jackson want a fully guaranteed contract? Why are the Ravens not giving him one?
The issue with fully guaranteed contracts is that they're, well... fully guaranteed. There's no way to recoup that money or get out of a contract without taking a huge salary cap penalty.
In Jackson's case, he has a playstyle that makes him susceptible to injuries. If the Ravens give him all the money he wants, they're going to risk not just one or two seasons, but the long-term of the franchise as well. You don't want to pay a lot of money for a quarterback who can't play.
But the quarterback also has a point. He has seen Cousins and Watson get their fully guaranteed contracts. He sure deserves more than them.
At the moment, it's not clear what the resolution is going to be for the two sides.