Mar 08, 2023 - 00:31
By espn.com

NFL nonexclusive franchise tag - Biggest questions facing Ravens, Lamar Jackson

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Baltimore Ravens made the long-expected move of placing the franchise tag on quarterback Lamar Jackson on Tuesday, but the team surprisingly chose to use the nonexclusive one. This marks the first time in seven years a quarterback has received the nonexclusive tag — Kirk Cousins being the 2016 example — according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

Under the $32.416 million nonexclusive tag, Jackson — who is not represented by an agent — can engage in contract talks with other teams starting Monday. But Baltimore has the right to match any offer sheet Jackson signs with another team in order to keep him or take two first-round picks as compensation.

An exclusive tag, which is projected to be $45 million, would have allowed Baltimore to control Jackson's rights and all trade talks.

The sides have been unable to reach a long-term deal after 25 months of negotiations. Sources told ESPN last year that Jackson wanted a fully guaranteed deal like the one the Cleveland Browns gave to Deshaun Watson (five years, $230 million), but the Ravens believe Watson's contract is more of an outlier than a precedent. The Browns were put in a position where they had to overpay for Watson because he had reportedly narrowed his decision to the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints after initially rejecting Cleveland as part of his no-trade agreement.

So, for the first time in Ravens history, Baltimore used the franchise tag on a quarterback to keep Jackson from becoming an unrestricted free agent.

Here are the biggest questions