Harbaugh 'totally certain' Lamar will sign extension

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh is "totally certain" star quarterback Lamar Jackson will ink a long-term extension with the team, according to The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec.

It was reported prior to the club's divisional-round loss to the Buffalo Bills that Jackson and Baltimore are expected to engage in contract talks this offseason. The reigning MVP will likely become one of the league's highest-paid quarterbacks.

Jackson won his first career playoff game while rushing for 136 yards and a touchdown in a wild-card matchup against the Tennessee Titans. But he struggled in the loss to Buffalo before exiting during the second half with a concussion.

"He's a young player still and he's going to continue to grow," said Harbaugh on Wednesday. "Lamar is just embarking on that, just starting on that."

"The truth is that he needs to get better just like all the players," he added.

Jackson's passing stats dipped across the board from his MVP season a year ago.

He threw for 2,757 yards and 26 touchdowns against nine interceptions compared to 3,127 yards and 36 scores against six picks in 2019. His completion percentage (66.1% to 64.4%) and yards per attempt (7.8 average to 7.3) also decreased.

In the two playoff games, Jackson went 31-of-48 passing (64.6%) for 341 yards and zero touchdowns against two interceptions, including a pick-6 against the Bills.

Harbaugh knows his offense needs reinforcements at wide receiver to help Jackson's development, but he said the Ravens will be smart about how they spend money in free agency.

"It depends on who you are going to get and what's the cost and whether he wants to be here," said Harbaugh. "I think a big, physical receiver would be awesome for us. We can use anybody who is talented and good."

A host of productive veteran receivers are set to headline this year's free-agent class, most notably Allen Robinson, Kenny Golladay, and Chris Godwin.

Copyright (C) 2021 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.