The Baltimore Ravens have been busy when it comes to their quarterbacks this offseason. Last week, they placed the non-exclusive tag on Lamar Jackson, and on Wednesday, they placed the low RFA tender on Tyler Huntley, per The Athletic. This tender means any team can sign Huntley to an offer sheet, but Baltimore has the opportunity to match. If he signs with another team, the Ravens get nothing in return.
While the Ravens want to keep their top two signal-callers, they are also reportedly interested in adding another should one of theirs leave in free agency. Baltimore reportedly looked into quarterback options such as Baker Mayfield and Jacoby Brissett this week, per ESPN.
The two former members of the Cleveland Browns came off the free-agency board Wednesday, with Mayfield signing a one-year, $8.5 million deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Brissett getting scooped up by the Washington Commanders. Mayfield and Brissett were seen as two of the top signal-callers left in free agency. As of Wednesday afternoon, some quarterbacks still looking for new deals are Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan, Marcus Mariota and Teddy Bridgewater.
With the new league year arriving at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Jackson can now officially negotiate with other teams. If the 2019 NFL MVP is offered a deal, the Ravens have the right to match. If Baltimore were to decline to match said offer, Jackson's new team would send two first-round picks to the Ravens. The non-exclusive tag pays nearly $13 million less than the exclusive designation, coming in at $32.4 million.
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta released a statement last week, saying Baltimore will continue to negotiate with Jackson in good faith:
"Having not reached a long-term deal with Lamar Jackson, we will use the franchise tag," DeCosta wrote. "There have been many instances across the league and in Baltimore when a player has been designated with the franchise tag and signed a long-term deal that same year. We will continue to negotiate in good faith with Lamar, and we are hopeful that we can strike a long-term deal that is fair to both Lamar and the Ravens. Our ultimate goal is to build a championship team with Lamar Jackson leading the way for many years to come."
