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Jalen Hurts' record contract is painful reminder for Lamar Jackson, Ravens

Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY
·4 min read
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As shockwaves from the record-setting deal that Jalen Hurts struck with the Philadelphia Eagles moved across the NFL landscape on Monday, it was fitting to reflect on the origins of the relationship between the star quarterback and Nicole Lynn, the agent who negotiated the five-year, $255 million contract extension.

It’s a classic story involving timing, preparation, social media and hustle.

Lynn sent Hurts a direct message on Instagram, making her pitch as he ramped up for the draft process in 2020 after finishing up his college career at Oklahoma.

"Hey, have you picked an agent? If not, I’d love to link."

Lynn later described her effort to Sports Illustrated as "a total Hail Mary."

Touchdown. Turns out, Hurts didn’t have an agent. They met and jump-started some history.

Now, Hurts has a contract averaging $51 million per year in new money with $179.3 million guaranteed, while Lynn has blossomed into one of the premier agents in the NFL universe.

Which makes me wonder: Did Lynn send a DM to Lamar Jackson, too?

While the Eagles quickly signed Hurts to a second contract almost as soon as he became eligible for a new deal – after three seasons, two as a starter – Jackson, the league’s unanimous MVP in 2019, was again a no-show for the first day of organized team workouts with the Baltimore Ravens because he’s still without the security of a long-term deal as his sixth NFL season looms.

Philadelphia’s deal with Hurts, consistent with the impressive track record under GM Howie Roseman for locking up key players, is just one more reminder for the Ravens and Jackson that they should have crossed this bridge long ago.

MORE: Winners and losers of Jalen Hurts' record contract include Eagles QB's 2020 draft mates

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) passes as head coach John Harbaugh looks prior to the game against the Los Angeles Chargers in a AFC Wild Card playoff football game at M&T Bank Stadium.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) passes as head coach John Harbaugh looks prior to the game against the Los Angeles Chargers in a AFC Wild Card playoff football game at M&T Bank Stadium.

The Eagles and Hurts demonstrated how business can get done in the NFL. No drama. No bitterness. No need to catch up later for all of the X’s and O’s installed during the offseason drills. Just the need for somebody to get a Brinks truck – as Lynn playfully suggested on Twitter as the news broke on Hurts’ new contract.

According to an ESPN report, Jackson – who doesn’t have an agent – turned down an offer from the Ravens in September that was in striking range of the contract that Hurts signed. Per the report, the $250 million offer to Jackson included $175 million guaranteed for injury.

No, neither of these deals (consummated or proposed) approached the fully guaranteed $230 million that Deshaun Watson received from the Cleveland Browns last offseason. But Hurts now tops the chart for average annual value, even though, when the full details of the contact are revealed, it will be interesting to see what effect incentives and back-loading will have on the three-year average.

Jackson, due $32.416 million this season if he signs his franchise tender, can try to use the Hurts deal – and especially the package average – as fresh data while negotiating with the Ravens. But if the reports are accurate that he turned down a similar offer several months ago, while speculation persists that guaranteed money represents the biggest snag, we’ll just have to see whether the Hurts deal will change the game for Jackson.

It’s just that with each new quarterback contract – Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow and the Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert are on the runway to follow Hurts – the money that Jackson hasn’t received over the years since he’s been eligible sticks out as some sort of negligence.

Had Jackson had an agent who couldn’t strike a deal with the Ravens by now, chances are that agent would have been dumped for not getting the job done.

MORE: For Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, it's well past time to hire an agent – so don't wait any longer

Jackson, though, hasn’t fired himself as his agent. The issue has apparently become so personal that he requested a trade several weeks ago, before the franchise tag was applied.

Perhaps an agent would have brokered a deal with the Ravens a couple of years ago that might have set the table for the next contract. Sure, that’s hypothetical. But when one of the NFL’s most dynamic players isn’t under a long-term contract with one of the league’s most competitive and typically well-run organizations, the possibility trumps the reality.

That’s not to take the Ravens off the hook. Not by a long shot. Had Baltimore come stronger in initial attempts to re-sign Jackson – before Watson’s big guarantee and other QB deals – it might have secured the franchise quarterback for much cheaper (see: Patrick Mahomes) while the market continued to escalate. Of course, it’s easier to question anticipation now with 20/20 hindsight.

Regardless, the way this stalemate between Jackson and the Ravens has lingered, it seems like a good time for a Hail Mary.

And one way or another, Hurts might vouch for that.

Follow USA TODAY Sports' Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jalen Hurts' record contract is painful reminder for Lamar Jackson