All, true enough.
The thing is, he’s extremely high visibility, so, they can’t screw him to badly in front of his fans.
I think this can all be true and collusion can still be happening.
Certainly no team wants to sign him only for Baltimore to match. I understand that no team wants to sign him for that reason.
However, and this is where we differ I think, if some team wanted to give him the full guarantees, I think they would stand a good chance of getting him. I know you believe Baltimore would match since they can then pass the blame onto the other team for negotiating the guarantees, but I’m not sure they would. At the very least I think a team would test them.
To me the fact that he absolutely won’t get the fully guaranteed offer to at least test Baltimore’s resolve is an example of the owners coming together and saying “no one is doing that.” They categorically do not want guaranteed contracts to become a thing.
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Daniel Snyder should do it
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I also think most teams are terrified to give massive guaranteed money to a run first QB. That could turn out terribly. He’s already missed 11 starts the past 2 years.
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It’s a bullshit situation, Lamar is entering Erin territory. You know who should be negotiating this, the smartest guy in the room. You know who ISN’T the smartest guy in the room? That’s right, the guy who painted himself into a corner and has zero flexibility. WHAT team is a Lamar Jackson away from the SB next year because if you don’t get it done in year one, like the Rams, now your cap is screwed and your draft going forward is in big trouble. ■■■■ Lamar.
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I think no team wants to sign him because they fear Baltimore won’t match.
What team wants to give up a pair of 1st round picks AND pay a huge guaranteed contract. One or the other.
If you want a running QB, use your picks to draft AR and get a QB for rookie salary instead of a $200+ million guaranteed contract.
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Also, because of the archaic funding rules of fully guaranteed contracts, if a team does a fully guaranteed contract $240M/4yr contract, they have to be prepared to put $240M today into an escrow account. That’s a HUGE ask, even for billionaires, they just don’t have that kind of cash just laying around.
There has always been the Restricted Free Agent market and that has never produced many offer sheets either, not even before the 2011 CBA when rookie contracts were required to be 4 years. Almost all offer sheets gets matched, teams don’t want to negotiate a deal for another team.
Again, if Baltimore did not have the opportunity to match, Jackson would have a record QB deal, likely with a fully guaranteed contract.
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Jackson was offered a guaranteed contract at 44 mill per year. Thats more then Jones and the contract had much more guaranteed money than Jones contract.
I don’t think it takes “collusion” to know the value of something. Just because the Browns made a massive mistake. Doesn’t mean that should be the protocol going forward. If a team thought Lamar was as a big difference as he thinks he was. They would absolutely pull the trigger.
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The tag is the main thing. But people will still spin it as no team willing to pay Lamar. They would.
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This is one weird situation alright…
So far, every explanation is correct.
It’s like a perfectly cut, superfaceted gemstone made out of crystallized WTH.
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This is the mic drop, IMO. How is it collusion if he got a fully-guaranteed offer? This isn’t the owner-agent-media alliance misreporting, thus came straight from Jackson himself.
The reality is that teams don’t want to guarantee huge dollars for Lamar in 2026 and beyond for true same reason Lamar doesn’t want to bet on himself to re-enter the FA market in 2026… everyone knows there’s a distinct possibility he won’t be able to make good on it.
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That’s just it! He got a fully guaranteed offer! Yes its shorter in years but that also creates the possibility of making even more! As you said if he chooses to bet on himself.
I’d put it this way. I think Goff is a better QB and his play style is better for winning games. As opposed to Lamars who’s more exciting and better for ticket sales, ect. If Goff was asking for what Lamar was. I’d imagine Lions fans wouldn’t be having it. The Ravens offer was more then fair in my opinion.
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Yeah, this is true. But that’s what makes this situation unique… how often were those 26-year-old former MVPs at the most important position in sports? It’s bizarre to me that some team doesn’t try and offer a contract with a bunch of poison pills in it. Because while a lot of people probably agree with this sentiment:
It’s not all of them. Again, we’re talking about a 26-year old former MVP at the most important position in sports. Nobody’s interested in that? I don’t buy it. It’s just like this board, a bunch of people agree with @Doctor_Love’s sentiment, but others like me and @CuriousHusker think he’s still a superstar.
I wouldn’t want the Lions to do it, but if I was the Colts? I’d give up the two 1sts and pay him his money in a heartbeat.
… write a contract that will be matched by Baltimore because Baltimore can pay the same money and they don’t have to give up two 1sts to do it.
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This is one of those situations where everybody is right lol
could also be nobody wants to deal with his mom acting as his agent. I’m sure GMs have patterns and relationships with all the major sports agents and don’t really have time for someone’s mom if they can help it
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Maybe not if you included a bunch of poison pills. At least test their resolve. And if they matched it 
. They don’t lose anything for trying.
I asked the question before, help me out. What team is a Lamar Jackson, salary cap implosion and 2 first round picks away from a SB? The Jets are going all in with AR this year, so who else, honestly what team is a Lamar away from the SB? Us? You have talking heads that think WE are in “collusion”.
Can’t do poison pills any more.
You have to come up with the $200M plus to fund money to fund the guarantee, you have to stop everything you’re doing in UFA and set aside cap space to draw up a contract. You have to not only come up with a contract that is appeasable to Lamar Jackson and the acquiring team, but is unappeasable to Baltimore.
It’s not worth the effort when Baltimore is going to match anyways. The only time a franchise tag offer sheet wasn’t matched was 1998.
Jim Irsay isn’t going to do it because he’s too cheap
Woody Johnson might do it if he wasn’t going after Rodgers
Arthur Blank was the one that surprised me that didn’t do it, but he attacked UFA instead of doing an offer sheet for Lamar that was going to be matched.
If something happens (doubt it), it’ll happen after the draft when things slow down for the front offices.
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I guess I just think it’s worth it to try for a 26-year-old former MVP. Under most circumstances I wouldn’t, but to me this one is a lot different. I also agree that I don’t think anything happens until after the draft though, if it happens at all.
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