After months of tension, the Baltimore Ravens and star quarterback Lamar Jackson failed to reach a new contract agreement before the season. While other quarterbacks such as Kyler Murray, Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson got big new deals this offseason, Jackson is still waiting on his. Now the 2019 NFL MVP will play this season on his fifth-year option, which pays him $23 million.

The Lamar Jackson Contract Situation With Ravens

Both Jackson and the Ravens are taking a massive gamble with this move. Jackson, who is coming off a subpar season by his standards, knows he must rebound this season. Even if he doesn’t though, Jackson should have no trouble finding a starting job, even if it’s not win Baltimore.

On the other hand, what do the Ravens do in that scenario? The only other quarterback on the roster is Tyler Huntley, who looked solid in relief of Jackson last season. Still, trusting him to be a full-time starter is a huge risk.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Ravens will likely tag Jackson next offseason, but that comes with its own set of risks. Many players have held out over the franchise tag, most recently Bengals safety Jessie Bates. Even for those that don’t hold out, the relationship between the team and player becomes tenuous, such as Kirk Cousins in Washington.