Lamar Jackson’s Net Worth: He Once Turned Down $250 Million From The Ravens

When it comes to Lamar Jackson’s net worth, the star quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens has his negotiating skills and knowing his value to thank. This champion athlete famously turned down a huge contract extension from his team only to become one of the highest-paid players in NFL history.

Jackson was born on January 7, 1997, in Pompano Beach, Florida. He played college football at the University of Louisville, but some pundits doubted his ability to translate those skills to become a professional-level quarterback. Nonetheless, the Baltimore Ravens selected him with the 32nd overall pick in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Jackson quickly gained attention for his abilities as a quarterback, being equally adept at passing and running.

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Jackson’s 2019 accomplishments included breaking Michael Vick’s single-season quarterback rushing record with 1,206 yards and becoming the youngest quarterback in NFL history to win the MVP award at the age of 23.

During a segment on the Let’s Go podcast, veteran QB Tom Brady gushed over Jackson. “First time I ever really noticed you was that high school highlight where you put the breaks on the guy and he went flying by,” Brady told him. With all that said, Lamar Jackson’s net worth is impressive but certainly bolstered by the fact that this is a play that knows his value.

Lamar Jackson’s net worth

Lamar Jackson’s net worth is around $40 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. In September 2022, he famously turned down a six-year, $250 million contract extension with the Ravens, which made NFL experts think him crazy.

“A deal that included at the time he was offered $133 million due at signing,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter on The Adam Schefter Podcast said at the time. “$133 million guaranteed. The contract also had injury guarantees that brought the guarantees to $175 million and it then had a springing guarantee that could’ve brought the value for the contract, the guaranteed money of the contract to $200 million in guarantees… and yes, those were the actual numbers and that was the situation. So those really were the guarantees for Lamar Jackson.”

Jackson addressed the negotiations directly on social media. “You know, for the last few months, there’s been a lot of he’s said, she’s said. A lot of nail-biting, a lot of head-scratching going on, but for the next five years, it’s a lot of flock going on. Let’s go, baby. Let’s go. Let’s go, man. Can’t wait to get there. Can’t wait to be there. Can’t wait to light up M&T (Bank Stadium) for the next five years, man. Let’s get it.”

His patience paid off eventually. In May 2023, he re-signed with Ravens on a five-year, $260 million extension which, with an annual salary of $52 million and $185 million guaranteed, made it the richest contract in NFL history at the time. And he did it all without an agent, saving him around $5.5 million. (Jackson’s record would be broken by Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who signed a five-year, $275 million extension ($55 million per year) in September that same year.)

“I love the fanbase, crazy. I can’t explain it,” Jackson told CBS. “I get messages of them being sad, making me sad. I want to tell them there is progress. Just be patient because I want to be here. I love the community. This is my home. There really wasn’t a doubt in my mind.”

He continued: “I’m very eager. I want to throw for 6,000 yards with the weapons we have,” Jackson said. “We have explosive guys. I’m not a stat guy, but I want to get that done with the weapons we have.”

General Manager Eric DeCosta said negotiating with Lamar for his continued loyalty was a no-brainer. “In our minds, Lamar Jackson is the best quarterback in the league,” he said. “With this, we had to get it done. You don’t make a phenomenal football player the highest-paid player. You make a phenomenal person and player the highest-paid player.”

When It Was Just a Game: Remembering the First Super Bowl

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For more about the NFL, football fans can check out When It Was Just a Game: Remembering the First Super Bowl by Harvey Frommer. The best-selling book delves into the history of the first Super Bowl, which was originally known as the AFL-NFL Championship Game. (The term “Super Bowl” was coined only in its third year.) The debut game, between the winning Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs, was played in front of only 61,946 people at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum—an audience well below the stadium’s capacity. Harvey Frommer, a sports historian and reporter, puts the tale of that momentous game together using oral history, gathered by hundreds of interviews with players, coaches, media and spectators alike.

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