If Lamar Jackson becomes available, it’s being speculated by NFL insider Benjamin Allbright that the Falcons will be at the front of the line for the former MVP quarterback.
A laundry list of franchises will be lined up at Baltimore’s door if Jackson becomes available. He’s one of the most electrifying playmakers in the league and would immediately change the trajectory of a team, which is why it’s a bit surprising the Ravens have been letting this ordeal linger.
If Jackson wants a similarly guaranteed deal as Deshaun Watson, who signed a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract with the Browns, I could see a scenario unfolding where the Ravens move on from the ultra-talented quarterback. As it stands right now, the Falcons are among the betting favorites if Jackson winds up on a new team.
Action Network has the Falcons sitting with the second-best odds at +400 behind the favorite Jets (+300) and in front of the Patriots (+600), Raiders (+700), Panthers (+700), and Colts (+800). And PointsBet Sportsbook oddsmakers see it similarly.
Next NFL team Lamar Jackson will play a snap for
Jets +300
Falcons +400
Patriots +600
Raiders +700
Panthers +700
Colts +800
Seahawks +800
Commanders +1200
Titans +1200
Saints +1200
Texans +1200 pic.twitter.com/Ef2Hevxh4v— PointsBet Sportsbook (@PointsBetUSA) January 16, 2023
According to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, Lamar Jackson declined a six-year contract worth up to $290 million with $133 million in guarantees. It’s clear the unprecedented, fully guaranteed Watson contract is a driving force in Jackson’s potential split with the Ravens.
The Browns, the Haslems, and Watson upset a lot of powerful people with their record-breaking five-year, $230 million contract. Nobody should expect a deal like that anytime soon either, especially with a quarterback like Jackson, whose success is so heavily reliant on his mobility
The Falcons, Arthur Blank, Arthur Smith, and Terry Fontenot will be interested in Lamar Jackson. The organization was willing to pursue a player without an MVP with a mountain of baggage due to his deviant sexual behavior off the field in Watson. If the Falcons were inquiring about someone like that, it’s all but guaranteed they’ll be interested in Jackson, who is by all accounts a hell of a good human being.
Regardless of how you feel about the Falcons chances of winning a Super Bowl by pursuing Lamar Jackson, the acquisition would undoubtedly benefit the city and organization. It would immediately give the team credibility with other potential free agents — something Deshaun Watson’s presence provided. Jackson would also make a relatively dead franchise popular in the national spotlight again. And for someone who consistently complains about the fan support in Mercedes Benz Stadium, I would be most excited because Jackson would finally make Falcons games fun again.
Sure, one could argue spending a ton of resources to acquire Lamar Jackson wouldn’t be the smartest move in trying to build a sustainable winner, but one can’t argue whether it would be exciting to watch the Atlanta Falcons again.
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