OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said on Tuesday that he told Lamar Jackson he wants a new deal done by the start of free agency in March that would significantly lower the two-time NFL MVP's $74.5 million cap number.
"The urgency of that matters to me because we've got free agents and I don't want to go into free agency with that hanging over our head," Bisciotti said. "And I made that clear to Lamar and I think he was very appreciative of my stance and hopefully willing to work with Eric [DeCosta, Ravens general manager] and not get this thing dragged out into April like the last time. It's very hard for him to build a roster when that thing is not settled."
Jackson, 29, is under contract for three more years but his cap number increases by $31 million in 2026. That $74.5 million cap figure would account for 25% of the team's salary cap.
If the sides can't reach a new deal, Bisciotti said the team would lower Jackson's cap figure by spreading out the cap hit in void years. But the Ravens don't want to do that because it would push the cap hit into future seasons.
"We want another window, and Lamar knows that," Bisciotti said. "I think that he's amenable to doing something that mirrors the last deal he did, although the annual number will be a little higher. But I'm hoping that it's plug a new number in the same contract he signed last year and move on."
Bisciotti invited Jackson to participate in the interviews at the Ravens' facility when the team conducts the final round of interviews with candidates. Jackson told him that he would do so.
Asked if Jackson would have a say in deciding the next coach, Bisciotti said, "a lot of say, but it is no power. I have the power. I care about my players very much, but I can't give them power."
