Lamar Jackson enters the 2024 season with the pressure on him to get the Baltimore Ravens to another Super Bowl title mounting as the days trickle down to kickoff.
Jackson appeared to take more time for himself in the offseason as he decided to skip voluntary organized team activities (OTAs) to end the month of May, but the decision was reportedly a costly one.
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Lamar Jackson, #8 of the Baltimore Ravens, reacts after being called for a safety during the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on December 25, 2023, in Santa Clara, California. (Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images / Getty Images)
The reigning NFL MVP has an offseason workout bonus in his contract to the tune of $750,000, according to Pro Football Talk. He reportedly has the incentive in his deal with the Ravens for 2025, 2026 and 2027 as well. Missing out on the extra dough will drop his earnings to a mere $31.75 million instead of $32.5 million.
Tough luck.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh appeared to downplay Jackson's absence.
"It's just this time of year," Harbaugh said. "It's a voluntary time. It's really not something that we comment on. We can't, and that's just the time of year it is. So, I can't speak for anybody that's not here. I pretty much know the different reasons guys aren't here most of the time, but not always.
Lamar Jackson, #8 of the Baltimore Ravens, warms up prior to the AFC Championship NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs at M&T Bank Stadium on January 28, 2024, in Baltimore, Maryland. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images / Getty Images)
"Nobody's required to tell you exactly what's going on, so I'm not really specifically going to be able to comment on anybody that way. But the guys who were here were great, flying around, and those are the guys we had a great time coaching."
Jackson entered the offseason last year in search of a new contract with a handful of teams declaring that they wouldn’t want to offer the quarterback a large sum in guaranteed money. But good things come to those who wait, apparently.
He signed a five-year, $260 million contract extension which included $185 million in guaranteed money.
He responded with a season that yielded him his second NFL MVP award, and he nearly got the Ravens back to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, the team ran into the pesky Kansas City Chiefs.
Lamar Jackson, #8 of the Baltimore Ravens, looks on from the sideline during the national anthem prior to the AFC Championship NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs at M&T Bank Stadium on January 28, 2024, in Baltimore, Maryland. (Perry Knotts/Getty Images / Getty Images)
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Jackson had 3,678 passing yards and 24 touchdown passes for Baltimore. The Ravens, at 13-4, had the best record in the NFL.
