Report: Lamar wants more guaranteed money than Deshaun Watson

The Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson are at a standstill.

The Ravens' star quarterback wants a guaranteed contract comparable to Deshaun Watson's deal with the Cleveland Browns and only submitted counteroffers of fully guaranteed contracts exceeding Watson's during negotiations last year, according to Jeremy Fowler and Jamison Hensley of ESPN.

Cleveland signed Watson last March to a five-year, $230-million fully guaranteed deal - the richest contract in NFL history.

Baltimore is reportedly resistant to a fully guaranteed deal; Jackson turned down a five-year, $250-million contract with $133 million guaranteed in September, according to Fowler and Hensley.

"Just because the Browns were desperate doesn't mean that the Ravens are," a high-ranking NFL executive told Fowler and Hensley. "They are a stable franchise. They aren't about to jump at something just because Cleveland did it."

Jackson, the 32nd overall pick in the 2018 draft, is set to hit free agency on March 13. The franchise-tag window opened Tuesday, meaning Baltimore can now use the tag to keep him off the open market.

The 26-year-old missed the Ravens' final seven games - including their wild-card loss to the Cincinnati Bengals - due to a knee injury he suffered in Week 12 against the Denver Broncos.

Jackson traveled with the team for one regular-season game while sidelined -Week 13 against the Pittsburgh Steelers - and did not attend Baltimore's playoff matchup in Cincinnati. His presence in team settings was limited while he rehabbed from the knee ailment, and he only attended quarterback meetings, sources told Hensley and Fowler.

The Ravens have $24,288,480 in cap space, according to Over The Cap. They hold the 22nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

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