Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has missed out on a $750,000 contract bonus related to his participation in offseason workouts.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported the news.
“On closer review of his 2023 contract, Jackson has annual offseason workout bonuses of $750,000. To qualify, he must participate in 80 percent of the offseason workouts, excluding mandatory minicamp. He has already missed too many workouts, we’re told, to earn the $750,000 this year. An identical payment, with identical terms, is available in 2025, 2026, and 2027.”
Per Shanna McCarriston of CBS Sports, Jackson has missed four of the Ravens’ first five OTA sessions.
Jackson, a two-time NFL MVP, signed a five-year, $260 million contract with $185 million guaranteed last year.
So while $750,000 is a massive chunk of change, it may not be as huge a hit for the league’s reigning NFL MVP, who just led the Ravens to an AFC Championship Game appearance.
Jackson’s absence isn’t a huge deal. If he’s cool with skipping voluntary workouts and missing out on three-quarters of a million, who are Ravens fans to worry?
He’s been exceptional since taking the reins as QB1 in 2018. Although a Super Bowl appearance hasn’t come as of yet, Jackson has done his part, guiding a mostly prolific and efficient offense under his watch.
Plus, at the end of the day, these are voluntary workouts, with an emphasis on voluntary.
The Ravens have bigger problems, namely overcoming the dynasty that is Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. They aren’t going to figure out how to do that in May and June in OTA’s. But September 5 is circled on the calendar, as the Ravens are visiting the defending Super Bowl champions in the league opener.