Lamar Jackson Facing ‘Contract Year' Pressure in 2026, NFL Evaluator Says

Lamar Jackson had a frustrating 2025 season with the Baltimore Ravens.

His efficiency dropped, while a lingering hamstring injury and poor offensive line play limited him to just 13 games. In those 13 games, he threw for 2,549 yards, 21 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, and added a career-low 349 rushing yards.

And with his former offensive coordinator, Todd Monken, who helped lead Jackson to his second career MVP in 2023, now in Cleveland, there’s real pressure on incoming OC Declan Doyle to help Jackson get back to his elite self.

There’s also real pressure on Jackson to perform given that he’s expected to push for an extension after the 2026 season.

In a recent survey conducted by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler with executives, coaches, and scouts across the NFL, Jackson was ranked as the No. 5 overall quarterback heading into 2026. Evaluators highlighted both his evolution as a pocket passer and the pressure he faces going into the season.

“What’s so impressive is he has gotten better as a passer,” one NFL coach told Fowler. “He’s more of a complete passer. It’s impressive. I really didn’t respect the passing game as much before in his career, but the last time we played him, he was much better. He can dice you up.”

“I expect him to have a big year,” another NFL personnel evaluator said. “This is like a contract year for him coming up.”

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Jackson’s cap hit was set to jump up to $74.5 million, and the Ravens spent the offseason trying to get an extension done before free agency.

But that didn’t happen. Baltimore instead restructured his deal in March, which lowered his 2026 figure to just $34.4 million, but pushed a massive $84 million cap hit into 2027 and created void years that could complicate his future if no long-term deal gets done.

Ravens GM Eric DeCosta said the organization “ran out of time” to get a deal done, and the two sides appear intent on heading back to the negotiating table next offseason.

Jackson has said repeatedly he wants to stay in Baltimore, and reports suggest talks remain amicable, but the uncertainty, along with last season’s “down year,” is exactly why there’s real pressure heading into 2026.

If Jackson bounces back to MVP form and leads the new-look Ravens under incoming head coach Jesse Minter back to the top of the AFC North, he’ll get the contract he deserves and top the market as the highest-paid player in the NFL.

If he doesn’t, though, and it’s another year disrupted either by injuries or inconsistent play, it may be harder for the franchise to justify paying a premium to a 30-year-old QB whose elite athleticism and rushing ability have made him such a threat.

Jackson already had a disappointing year in the rushing department last season. And with him turning 30 in January, one league exec even wondered whether Baltimore will need to scale back his rushing load and manufacture more designed runs instead.

“I do wonder if he starts running less as he approaches age 30,” an NFL personnel director told Fowler. “He’s still fast but probably not at his peak. So they could start to manufacture runs in other ways.”

Between the contract questions and a fresh coaching regime installing a new system, 2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal year either way.

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This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 11:15 AM.