The last time Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson went into an offseason with his career in flux, it took major acts of collusion among a group of powerful billionaires to stop him from leaving.
This time around, those hurdles might not exist.
With Jackson the subject of trade rumors in what could be a lost season for the Ravens, The Baltimore Sun’s Mike Preston writes the Miami Dolphins could be the leading candidate in any deal for Jackson, a 2-time NFL Most Valuable Player.
“The Ravens should look at possible trades (for Jackson), which could get them two or three first round picks,” Preston wrote. “Jackson would love to play in Miami, where Tua Tagovailoa is no longer the starter … Baltimore should also draft a quarterback in the early rounds.”
To be clear, trading Jackson to the Dolphins and not getting back a legitimate starting quarterback in return would almost certainly signify a massive rebuild for the Ravens. .
Jackson Seems Primed for Fresh Start
If there has ever been an NFL player who needs a fresh start, it’s Jackson, who has seemed totally checked out at times this season while never seeming totally healthy.
Jackson missed 3 games earlier this season with a hamstring injury. He left the first half of a Week 16 loss to the New England Patriots with a back contusion and is day-to-day for a Week 17 game against the Green Bay Packers.
At times — like when the Ravens were fined $100,000 over incorrectly listing Jackson on a Week 7 injury report — the communication between player and team hasn’t seemed to exist. The end result is the Ravens sitting at 7-8 overall with 2 games remaining in the regular season and just a 9 percent chance of making the playoffs, according to NFL.com
The problem with the Dolphins is the money. While Jackson might be willing to go one more season without a new contract, he’ll still cost $75.4 million against the salary cap in 2026 and the price only goes up on an extension the longer he waits.
Assuming there are zero trade partners out there, the Dolphins are going to be facing a $99 million dead cap hit if Tagovailoa is a post-June 1 release.
Why Dolphins Would Be Perfect Fit
For Jackson’s career, a move to South Florida might be the best thing. We have to recognize the wear and tear that’s come with 8 seasons as a starter in the NFL’s toughest division in terms of weather — Baltimore, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati are not friendly places for the NFL’s greatest rushing quarterback of all time to ply his trade.
There’s also the “Coming Home” factor for Jackson, who was born and raised in South Florida and starred at Boynton Beach High School before coming out of nowhere to win the Heisman Trophy at Louisville.
“Restructure Lamar Jackson’s contract,” Dolphins reporter Brady Hamilton wrote on X. “You simply do whatever it takes to get him in a Dolphins uniform.”
“I could absolutely see (the Ravens) taking a phone call from the Raiders or the Dolphins,” Fox Sports commentator Colin Cowherd said on December 24.
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