After Patrick Mahomes signed a record-breaking extension, the league is buzzing about who will be getting the next big contract.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell made a list of players who may be next in line to get a deal.
“In the past few weeks, we’ve seen stars such as Drake London and Jack Campbell sign significant extensions,” Barnwell wrote. Earlier this offseason, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Trent McDuffie became the highest-paid players in football at their respective positions when they signed extensions with their teams. And on Wednesday, Patrick Mahomes signed the largest contract in NFL history, with the future Hall of Famer becoming the first player to ink a deal worth more than half a billion dollars.”
Lamar Jackson Set Up for Huge Deal
There is no doubt Lamar Jackson deserves to be among the league’s top paid quarterbacks. Jackson has been the sole reason Baltimore has been able to stay afloat in the AFC.
“It seems bizarre in hindsight that there was any sort of conflict between the Ravens and their starting quarterback at the end of his rookie deal,” Barnwell wrote. “Jackson eventually conceded and signed a five-year, $260 million deal with $185 million in practical guarantees.”
“Since then, Jackson has won his second MVP award and came close to winning a third.”The average Jackson dropback as a passer over that span has generated 0.11 EPA, which is the fifth-best mark in the NFL. That’s without even considering the 2,085 yards and 11 touchdowns Jackson has added as a runner. Outside of a trip to the Super Bowl, Jackson has done everything the Ravens could have asked for after signing this contract.”
Jackson took over as the Ravens’ starter in the middle of the 2018 season and never looked back. He led the Baltimore Ravens to the playoffs after the team started 4-5.
In 2024, he had his best passing season throwing for 4,172 yards, 41 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, leading the Ravens to the playoffs once again.
The biggest knock you can have on Lamar Jackson is his lack of postseason success. After all, he did promise the Ravens a Super Bowl on draft night. One thing is for certain and two things for sure, Jackson will continue to have pressure on him until he delivers a Super Bowl.
Roquan Smith Could Be Next to Get a Big Deal
Roquan Smith is three-time First Team All-Pro, earning the honors in 2022, 2023, and 2024. He has also been named Second-team All-Pro in 2020 and 2021. Smith has proven to be one of the league’s top linebackers. It will be hard for the Ravens to ignore his consistency.
“The Ravens traded second- and fifth-round picks to acquire Smith from the Bears in 2022, and after the four-time Pro Bowler excelled and elevated the game of fellow first-round pick Patrick Queen, the Ravens signed Smith to a contract worth $20 million per year during the offseason,” Barnwell wrote.
The Baltimore Ravens have a struggled a bit when trying to find some consistency to go along with Roquan Smith at the linebacker position. Nonetheless, Smith has been holding down the fort after Patrick Queen left for the Pittsburgh.
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