Lamar Jackson says he asked Ravens for trade

Lamar Jackson said Monday he had requested a trade from the Baltimore Ravens, saying the team “wasn’t interested in hitting my value.”

In a series of tweets, the star quarterback said he requested a trade starting March 2. On March 7, the Ravens put the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson and said they still hoped to reach a long-term deal with him.

“On March 2, I requested a trade from the Ravens organization for which the Ravens were not interested in meeting my value,” Jackson said on Twitter. “Anyone who has met me or been around me knows that I love football and my dream is to help a team win the Super Bowl.”

Jackson may not need a trade to join a new team. The non-exclusive franchise tag allows it to negotiate with other clubs. However, it also gives Baltimore a chance to match any deal they make. The decision to go public with the trade request may be an attempt to dissuade the Ravens from matching another team’s offer – or an attempt to generate more interest among other teams by stating that he wants leave Baltimore.

If Jackson makes a deal with another team and the Ravens don’t match, that team owes Baltimore two first-round picks.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh spoke extensively about Jackson Monday at league owners’ meetings in Phoenix.

“I didn’t see the tweet. It’s an ongoing process,” Harbaugh said. “I am following it very closely, like everyone here, and I am eagerly awaiting a resolution. I’m excited, thinking about Lamar all the time, thinking about him as a quarterback. We build our attack around this idea.

Jackson was the 2019 NFL MVP. His passing and running abilities make him one of the biggest stars in the game. At 25, he is already one of six quarterbacks in NFL history with 10,000 yards passing and 4,000 rushing.

Jackson was injured at the end of the last two seasons and the Ravens did not reach the AFC Championship game with him. If he stays in Baltimore, he’ll have a new coordinator. The Ravens hired Todd Monken from Georgia for the role after the end of last season.

Harbaugh said he expects Jackson to quarterback for Baltimore early next season.

“You have to plan for all eventualities for sure,” Harbaugh said. “But I’m pretty excited about Lamar Jackson. I mean, Lamar Jackson is a great player. Lamar returned to full form last year. He is ready to play. It’s the Lamar I can’t wait to see. I can’t wait to get back on the grass and get to work, and I’m confident that’s going to happen.

Harbaugh tried to remain optimistic about the prospects of Jackson’s return. If Jackson returns and plays this season on Baltimore’s $32.4 million franchise tag, it could definitely be a tricky situation, and the coach will have his work cut out trying to assuage the grudges.

“Nothing has changed in terms of relationships, what we think of Lamar, how we want to build our team,” Harbaugh said.

Jackson doesn’t have an agent. In a memo sent to teams last week and obtained by The Associated Press, the NFL Board of Management said someone who is not an NFLPA-certified agent could contact clubs and try to persuade them to negotiate. with Jackson. The memo reminds teams that under the collective agreement, if a player is self-representing, an offer sheet can only be negotiated with that player.

Jackson said on Twitter that the person in question had never attempted to negotiate for him.

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AP Pro Football writer Rob Maaddi contributed to this report. Follow Noah Trister at https://twitter.com/noahtrister

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