It’s not often that a team hopes that their biggest rival keeps a very talented player, but for the Pittsburgh Steelers, that’s exactly what they hope for. There is plenty of speculation on whether Lamar Jackson will stay with the Baltimore Ravens, or get the tag-and-trade. Keeping Jackson will definitely be a challenge for Ravens GM Eric DeCosta, with Jackson representing himself in contract negotiations and demanding a long-term contract similar to the one that the Cleveland Browns gave Deshaun Watson after trading for him. Steeler Nation will be watching and hoping Jackson gets his wish, however.
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith (56) reacts after intercepting a pass from Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, not visible, during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
How does Lamar Jackson staying in Baltimore help the Steelers?
For starters, Lamar Jackson has not played well against the Steelers in his career. His one and only win came in 2019, when Pittsburgh backup Mason Rudolph got concussed, resulting in UDFA rookie Devlin "Duck" Hodges helping to take the game to overtime, where a key forced fumble by Marlon Humphrey set up a game-winning field goal for the Ravens. Since then, Jackson couldn’t get over that hump, including a game in 2021 where both TJ Watt and Chris Wormley had a hat trick of sacks on Jackson in a 20-19 win.
Even if Jackson just receives the franchise tag, that would still eat into all of their cap space, with only three players that could be considered cap casualties. The Ravens have been linked to a potential trade with DeAndre Hopkins, but there would be no way that the Ravens could afford to acquire him if Lamar Jackson is their QB. They already have a big extension to Roquan Smith, so now they have to decide if they want a top tier WR, or their franchise QB.
The question then becomes, what happens if the Ravens don’t keep Lamar Jackson? The most likely scenario is he’s traded to a QB-needy team, such as the New York Jets, or maybe a team with plenty of draft capital, or just wants an upgrade such as the Seattle Seahawks. Baltimore would then get plenty of draft capital, including at least one first-round pick. From there, the possibilities are endless.
They can trade up and get one of the top QB's in the draft, or stick with Tyler Huntley and improve other parts of the team. They could also try to get value in free agency, like a 1-2 year contract for Jimmy Garoppolo. With Greg Roman fired, whoever the new offensive coordinator is would likely have a big impact on what happens with Lamar Jackson and what decisions are made around him and the offense as a whole.
Tyson Alualu (#94) and Chris Wormley (#95) provide pressure on Baltimore's Tyler Huntley (#2) in the Steelers 16-14 loss to the Ravens in Week 14 of the 2022 regular season. (Abigail Dean/Pittsburgh Steelers)
The Steelers have shown time and time again that they can handle Lamar Jackson’s unique traits and consistently stop him better than any other team. Why would the Steelers want the Ravens to switch away from what Pittsburgh can handle? Without Jackson, it’s essentially a coin flip on who wins each Steelers/Ravens game. With him, the Steelers have the edge, even though the games stay close with him. With the Steelers trying to rebuild the offense from the ground up, they need any advantage they can get, and that includes a defense that can exploit Jackson’s weaknesses and slow down his strengths, such as not worrying about the outside passing game and not letting him escape the pocket.
What do you think will happen with Lamar Jackson and the Ravens? Let us know in the comments below.
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