Patriots not expected to pursue Lamar Jackson in free agency

Patriots

Acquiring Jackson could reportedly cost north of $40 million annually and a pair of first-round picks.

The Baltimore Ravens placed a non-exclusive franchise tag on Lamar Jackson this week, which allows him to negotiate with teams.

Any team that would sign Jackson would have to give Baltimore a pair of first-round picks. They’d also have to pay Jackson a hefty sum.

According to MassLive’s Mark Daniels, the Patriots are not expected to be amongst the teams pursuing Jackson in free agency.

Daniels wrote that Jackson could command a similar deal to Deshaun Watson, in the $40-50 million dollar range. He also reportedly is asking for that contract to be fully guaranteed.

With Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe still under contract on their rookie deals, paying that much for a quarterback doesn’t seem likely, even for a former league MVP. The Patriots have two more years of Jones making under $5 million annually.

The Patriots aren’t the only team who has reportedly decided not to make a push for Jackson.

According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the Falcons, Dolphins, Panthers, Commanders, and Raiders are also staying out of the Jackson sweepstakes.

Still, with quarterback play at a premium and Jackson’s resume being one of the top in the league at the position, there should be a robust free-agent market for a player of his caliber.

It just seems like the Patriots’ quarterback situation is keeping them out of the race for now.