While it sent shockwaves through the NFL, Lamar Jackson's trade request hasn't and won't alter the Ravens' plans regarding the former league MVP. The Ravens are not considering trading Jackson and are keeping the faith the two sides will eventually come to terms on a long-term deal, according to The Athletic.
As far as Jackson revealing that he requested a trade on March 2, several high-ranking team executives around the league reportedly had no prior knowledge of said trade request. The report also mentioned that other NFL team executives viewed Jackson's trade request as odd since the quarterback can already negotiate with teams after the Ravens placed the non-exclusive tag on him.
The Ravens continue to hope that by placing the non-exclusive tag on Jackson, he and the team would have a better understanding of his market value, which would help bridge the gap between the two while finally putting an end to the two-year contract saga. Instead, Jackson remains steadfast in his desire to receive what he considers to be his market value, which is believed to be a long-term deal that will pay him at least $200 million with most -- if of not all of it -- guaranteed.
Jackson may feel that teams haven't made him a competitive offer because the Ravens would likely go ahead and match the offer anyway. Why go through the hassle of working out a deal that will never happen? That is probably one of the driving forces in Jackson's trade request.
Unfortunately for Jackson, the veteran quarterback does not have much leverage in this situation. If no team makes a competitive offer to acquire him, Jackson's other two options are to sign a long-term deal with Baltimore or play the 2023 season under the non-exclusive tag that would pay him $32.416 million for the upcoming season.
While the situation has been messy, it has not deterred the Ravens' hopes that Jackson will remain the team's quarterback moving forward. Baltimore coach John Harbaugh and team president Sashi Brown both expressed their desire to get a deal done with Jackson on Monday.
"We love Lamar," Brown said, via ESPN. "We are committed to getting a deal done."
