Overview
- Owner Steve Bisciotti told Lamar Jackson he wants a new deal finalized by the start of free agency in March to reduce the quarterback’s $74.5 million 2026 cap number.
- General manager Eric DeCosta said an extension would increase flexibility to retain current players and pursue select big-ticket additions in free agency.
- If no agreement is reached, the team could add void years to lower the 2026 figure, a mechanism Bisciotti called undesirable because it pushes costs forward.
- Jackson remains under contract through 2027 on a five-year, reported $260 million deal, with cap charges of $74.5 million in both 2026 and 2027 that would consume roughly a quarter of Baltimore’s cap.
- Bisciotti invited Jackson to join final-round interviews for the next head coach, granting him input but no hiring authority, and Jackson has said he wants to stay in Baltimore.