Lamar Jackson turned down 5-year, $250M Ravens contract

Like Yankees superstar Aaron Judge, Lamar Jackson has bet on himself rather than accept the Ravens’ long-term contract offer.

Jackson, who will face the Jets in Sunday’s season opener at MetLife Stadium, turned down a five-year extension offer worth over $250 million with $133 million guaranteed this week, ESPN reported.

Jackson, the 2019 NFL MVP, is slated to earn $23 million on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, and the extension would have kicked in next season.

The average annual salary and guaranteed money at signing would have exceeded the deals landed this summer by star quarterbacks Kyler Murray with Arizona and Russell Wilson with Denver. But the 25-year-old Jackson — who represented himself in negotiations — sought a fully-guaranteed deal like the one Deshaun Watson signed (worth $230 million) with Cleveland in June. The Ravens still can retain Jackson’s rights for 2023 by applying their franchise tag on the two-time Pro Bowler.

“Despite best efforts on both sides, we were unable to reach a contract extension with Lamar Jackson,” Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said Friday in a statement after negotiations were tabled until the conclusion of the season. “We greatly appreciate how he has handled this process and we are excited about our team with Lamar leading the way.

“We will continue to work towards a long-term contract after the season, but for now we are looking forward to a successful 2022 campaign.”

Jackson has posted a 37-12 record as a starter as Baltimore’s starting quarterback since the middle of the 2018 season, but they have dropped three of four postseason games in that span.