Lamar Jackson will almost certainly land in the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day. With him, he’ll bring along at least two Associated Press NFL MVP awards and the distinction of having rushed for the most yards by a quarterback in NFL history (6,522 and counting).
But despite all that success, the Baltimore Ravens’ quarterback is still trying to track down an elusive Lombardi Trophy. According to FanDuel, Jesse Minter’s team has the fourth-best odds (+1200) to win the Super Bowl this season, but if it falls short with Jackson at the controls once again, it might be time for both sides to move on.
Here’s where things get interesting. (We’ll make believe we’re already operating in next offseason for this particular proposal.)
NFL insider Jason La Canfora believes the New York Jets have their eyes on ex-Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, who’s ventured into television broadcasting since turning in his whistle and headset in January.
“A potential Tomlin hire could immediately trigger secondary moves across the league, with conversations pointing toward a pursuit of two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson,” La Canfora wrote Wednesday. “Jackson enters a high-stakes stretch with his long-term future in Baltimore unresolved amidst ongoing contract negotiations. Representing himself, Jackson’s current deal carries an $84.5 million cap hit for 2027, alongside standard no-trade and no-tag clauses.”
The Jets, meanwhile, haven’t won a Super Bowl since Joe Namath delivered on his promise in 1969. The Lombardi Trophy has only been handed out 57 times since.
How the Jets could trade for Lamar Jackson
In July, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell valued Jackson “somewhere closer to four first-rounders.” Let’s go with three here. With three choices in the top round of next year’s NFL Draft — acquired by shipping Quinnen Williams to Dallas and Sauce Gardner to Indianapolis — the Jets could surely afford to meet that lofty price.
Jets owner Woody Johnson has to be tired of swinging and missing on both early first-round picks and veterans alike at QB. Jackson is still considered among the league’s elite signal-callers, and would certainly bring some excitement to a team that hasn’t reached the postseason since in over a decade and a half.
Would the Ravens make this trade?
Well, three first-rounders could give Baltimore a leg up in finding its next passer after Jackson turns 30.
Minter could flip the picks to move up in what projects to be a quarterback-rich draft. According to the NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus big board, Texas’ Arch Manning (No. 1), Oregon’s Dante Moore (No. 2), Miami’s Darian Mensah (No. 8), Ohio State’s Julian Saying (No. 12), South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers (No. 14), Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker (No. 15) and Notre Dame’s CJ Carr (No. 18) are all first-round prospects.
Or Baltimore could wait for one of the mid-first-round guys in that bunch, use their selections wisely and put together a core of young stars to carry them forward in a division that includes the aging Pittsburgh Steelers and top-heavy Cincinnati Bengals.
Verdict: Leaning yes. Jackson goes on the Ravens’ Mt. Rushmore, alongside the likes of Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Jonathan Ogden. But a haul of this variety is way too enticing, especially given his age and injury concerns.
Would the Jets make this trade?
Since reaching back-to-back AFC Championship Games in 2009 and 2010, the Jets have fielded a who’s who of signal-callers that includes Mark Sanchez, Michael Vick, Sam Darnold, Joe Flacco, Zach Wilson, Aaron Rodgers and Justin Fields. What a list, and where did it bring New York?
Back to Geno Smith.
Verdict: Absolutely. The Jets aren’t thrilled with being a middling-at-best outfit, especially in the league’s largest market.
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