Lamar Jackson Contract Extension Press Conference

Welcome into the Ravens Press Pass podcast. It was a big day in Baltimore's quarterback Lamar Jackson was in the building to put the pen to paper on a new five year contract. He was fired up to sign that deal and remain a Raven for the long term. He joined head coach John Harbaugh and general manager Eric Tacassa during a press conference at the Under Armed Performance Center this afternoon. So go ahead and check it out.

We got packed house. Thanks coming everybody. We've had some we've had some good press conferences this year, and we've had some bad press conferences this year. This is a great press conference. Very very excited, thrilled to announce a five year contract extension with our quarterback Lamar Jackson. They say the best things come to those who wait. We waited for a while and here we are.

John, very excited, can't wait to get started. It's it has been a long way, but I think we're all in the same place all along, and uh, we're all in the same place going forward. Can't wait to get to work.

Mark. Well, all I have to say is today I don't have any popcorn. But during count if you guys have great questions I'll say, I'll put it on Coach John uh. You guys get to come to the house with the peers, with the players and not you know, and have a good time that everybody is that your house, in my house, your house. Okay, only the good questions, only the good questions invited.

La mar uh In Marsh you tweeted out chats we wanted it. Really a month later you signed, you know, a record deal.

What changed during that time, mister Jamison, you know what we're gonna get, gonna be invited to the house. You know what I'm saying. That couldn't avot. I got you every But you know what, today, we're gonna keep it about the future. You know, I'm not really worried about what happened in the past. We gonna keep it about these next five years and keep it about you know what's going on today. You know, it's a great day,

Now, aside from the Trader request. I mean, this is a long process. Eric's talked about it and you guys hadn't share details. But but how did you've been eliable for the two years for an extension. What didn't change that this was a turning point that you were able to get a deal done over the last week.

H We you know, we just had some some you know, mutual agreements and in the terms and stuff like that, and you know it just fit, it fit to both of us and that's why we're here right now.

So tomorrow, where are you gonna be? Uh at?

Yeah?

What do you start the future?

What do you mean what I'm gonna be oh Ota, I'm gonna be in. I'm'a be in soon. I'm gonna be here soon.

Oh more?

Uh?

How can you describe you in your offense and services? And you you're new all as.

Uh Actually, coach Todd Monkin reached out to me. You know, we spoke a couple of times, and you know, I heard from the guys that the office is looking pretty smooth. And I just got my iPad a couple of days ago, and from what I see, it looks it looks different and I'm liking it so far. The more.

What is it needed to change in the office and some of the creations Maybe then Odell did any of that plan to swaying you to wanna restart.

The wan, well, we we been negotiating, like we really didn't never stop negotiating, you know, we was always keeping the contact. Ever reach out to me a lot and you know, uh, you know coming back coach rechot to me and we you know, go back and forth with that. But definitely having O'Dell and you know those guys you know reach out to me as well. It's like, man, we need you here. And it was like, you know, I wanna be there. It's not like I wanna leave anyways. It was you know business the more.

What does it mean to.

You that John and Eric here never faltered in saying that.

They've wanted you back here and they wanted did you install you as their quarterbacks?

Is there?

And Eric af like never faltered in the same wealth the line track negotiations that you are their guy.

What does that mean to you that it never seemed to.

Question that that you could be by Yeah, it means a lot, you know, just to have you know, guys, your head coach and your gym w wanted you to be here and believing in you, believing you can help your team achieve the the almighty uh ultimate goal, you know, and within football and the NFL football like that. It's like, you know, I I wouldn't wanna go no other place.

And Lamart ericat some really nice things to say about your negotiating style as your own man. What would you say the.

People going forward representing themselves and how much did you enjoy the process of going back.

And forth with DC?

Uh?

I mean, it's a it's a business. Uh, it's a business at the end of the day. And if if you gonn if you gonna represent yourself, you know, you gotta you gotta have a strong mind. I wouldn't say you get out there and put your feelings in it, cause it's not about feelings. You know. You can't take things with a oh yeah, what you said. I don't agree with this. You know. It's like what they feel is how you feel.

You know.

It's it's it's a grown man thing at the end of the day. So you got to be a grown man if you can hand a business.

At what point.

At your decisions to use a non exclusive tad and what.

Extent you were worried an office was coming and you went deplayer.

Yeah, it was a tough decision. I think we spent a lot of time thinking about it, praying on it, trying to as a group, you know, deciding what's best for the club, and in the end, you know, we just I guess we just kind of felt like it.

It was it was the best.

Thing for Lamar to have the opportunity to kind of get a sense of what was important to him and he could have conversations if he wanted with other teams to see what his value might be. And he could get a chance to talk to other coaches or gms if he wanted to to kind of get a sense

Well, we moral about the type of player you are, but the agent, not many of us know what type of what type of age Lamar Jackson is.

How would you describe Mamar and the agent?

Well, just just a business man, That's how I describe them. You know, nothing more, nothing less, you know, because it's different from just playing football. You know, it's you gotta put that, you know the game outside, put put that in one part of your life. In this. You know, you gotta speak to a grown man, you know, with millions and millions of dollars in understand what excuse me terms and you know, different languages and stuff like that.

I don't know if you were watching the Celtics game, but Eric was pretty down. When Trey Young hime back in the corner. He said, then you you texted him and said I think we can get something done here. What led to your text and what led your SpongeBob?

Actually, when when I got my email from Eric and I was going over it, I was liking the language, you know, and I texted him. I was not watching the game, so I texted him and I was like, you know, like like you said, I can get something, We can get something done. He was like, you know, you just made it. You know, you just made my night. You know, my Celtics just lost, so you probably just made my night. I'm like, all right. Then I get on social media and I said, Trey Young here the three.

What was that a message?

Definitely the SpongeBob message with definitely a message to the fan base. Let him know, you know, we moving on up.

You.

Uh, what did you learn about yourself in this process? It's been a more probably obviously, uh that you you just feeling forward to second wag? Did you ever think that this wouldn't work out?

Uh? It's not not anything that I learned about myself. You know, I've been knew you know, what what I was capable of, and I I thought, you know, we would get the process done. You know. I I didn't have a doubt in my mind, you know, cause, like they said, they loved me. You know, I love being here. You know, I love my teammates and I love fan base. I really loved the fan base on my teammates, you know, So I didn't have a doubt.

Really, Mary, you said there whether you were in a doubt on my mind.

That you know, era is a Uh there was a point where you guys just weren't talking.

So what was it? What was it like you during half period?

Oh, I had a grind.

Uh.

I probably didn't wanna talk cause I was grinding.

You know.

I did have a PCR injury, so I was like trying to get that, get that all the way squared away, you know, just fully recovering from that. And that's probably when I wasn't return you know, text messages and stuff like that, cause I probably be tired after workout and I wake up late at night and you know, all type of people texting my phone, so I probably won't reached back out. But we got it done, So I'm not rid about it right now.

When were you fully When were you fully recovered from a knee injury?

And how much should it bother you?

There was so much outside shatter you?

Help you work?

Did you play?

Was a contract related?

How that bosh? I probably got better like probably a month ago for real, a month ago, And it really didn't bother me, you know, cause they don't really like people don't know what's really going on, you know, they they be trying to reach and pull and you know, try to see if the club was in or what I come out of said stuff like that, you know, but we keep it in house. You know, it's not anyone's business but ours.

Did it ever weigh on you playing in a contract year? Did you feel only pressure to perform being in a contract year?

Absolutely not. I've been performing since twenty eighteen, you know, so not at all, not at all. You know, I want to win. I'm a competitive you know, there's nothing more I wanna do them being out there on that field. So nah, not at all.

More.

There were reports that you were active in them prove the process of Hodell that from junior you though you had not signed a deal in the future.

Fatia was in lous Uh it is true?

And if so, what went into you still wanting to bring a player in knowing that you hadn't signed a deal here yet.

Yeah, I've seen uh Odell Becke was r you know, recover from his injury and stuff like that, and you know he reached out to me. I'm like you thinking about coming to us, you know, like cause I'm still part of the Ravens. Like I wasn't saying like nah, I don't wanna go there, like that's not my team, you know it was. I'm like I was hyped about it.

Why we saw that, you know, you're giving well, mom, after you created the terms of contract and you keeping a tight circle, who who are you leaning on in this.

Process working as your own agent and w or did.

You kind of find the most supportant fun of people around? Uh?

You know, she's my manager, you know, so I I felt like she managed me very well, you know, don't you think so? And she did a pretty good job, you know. You know, if anything, you know, we'll just go back and forth, you know, in terms and stuff like that. Like I said, the language is gonna overrun the numbers and stuff like that, so and over trumpt numbers and stuff like that. So it was just me and her piggyback off of each other, and we got it deal done.

You know, obviously you know Eric pretty well and the girl should do with the ravenss for had a let hold familiarity.

What was it like when you were able to talk to other teams to learn about how the teams do business.

Like, I really don't like to be honest with you. I really didn't care for other teams really, I just really wanted to get something down here, like I wanted to be here. It was like, Man, Okay, other team's cool, but I wanna be a Raven like I said, I said some twenty eighteen, you know, I think it was April twenty six if I'm not mistaken, And I meant that, you know, I'm standing on that until I get it done.

So that's what I meant, La, mar Are you talking about the guys you already have?

You guys had to take Flowers in first round the draft, and he talked to say, what do you know about him?

How say you work with him?

Uh?

Yeah, they reached out to me. You know, we spoke. We were supposed to work out, but you know, I was working out and doing other stuff, so I couldn't really have time to And he's gonna be here for the uh Ricky mini camp so probably when he get back to foot the man and him or get the rick and I'm very excited. You know, he he's doing well known down there in South Florida, you know, from youth football on up, and you know it's it's proven he's here now.

Or you said in the video when you agreed field that there was a lot he's used expressed.

I think he said.

She said, was there a misconception about these talks and about this whole situation that in particular bothered me?

No, it was just like what are you gonna do? What are you guys doing? I see people throwing shots at the ravens, Like, what are you guys doing? They throwing shots at me? You don't know what you're doing? You know, that's the he say. She say, That's what I That's what I meant by that.

Whether there were a lot of questions in the you know, some doubts about like your decisions reply yourself, what do you feel like you.

Proved to be able to get this plain?

Uh?

I don't really. I didn't really like do this to prove anyone wrong or really care about what anyone had to say. You know, it's anything I had to prove myself right, you know, like I know what I'm doing and I felt I did the right thing.

How did you train yourself to sort of hell that side of your career.

Just keep your emotions outside of business. That's the best way to do it.

Eric and John, this is a pretty historical in franchise histories. What does the city against you.

Can say to me teach good?

Well, you know, I'm sure it does have a lot of significant spirit. And I appreciate the magnitude of the question. Probably like about ten years from now on tomorrow and you're still playing and I'm done, I'll probably give it some thought. But my thought right now is the significance going forward. Just like Lamar said, you know, let's let's get to work and let's get ready to go play. Go play some ball, you know, and play some great football.

Man. You know you always wanted to be here, to be ray. We're just curious.

Did you get approached by other teams in this process with an offer? Did you consider it?

H teams reached out, but it was like not, I didn't really, Like I said before, I really didn't care about other teams like I wanted to be here. You know, That's what it is.

Mark.

Did you did you feel some urgency to get this wrapped up?

Now?

I mean did you did you want to get it done the off season or would you have been fine play an enfranchise if it if it had come to that.

If the number wasn't what you wanted it to be, absolutely wanted to get it done because I was just tired of going back and forth about it. You know, it's we've been doing it for years, you know, but it's like, you know, the time that come and you know the numbers were right and we was all satisfied. Eric, What was this stretch like for you?

It seems really successful and you have a lot on your play with all the players you've signed the draft, Lamar, how was it compartmentalizing and dealing with everything.

Do you have a pretty much run.

Yeah, you just have faith in the process. We have great people working upstairs that help in a lot of different ways. Coaches and scouts, cap salary, cap analytics, people that helped day to day help me keep me focused on point my family. You know, it's a great stabilizer for me as well. And you just you just remain positive and hopeful. And I guess my mindset was trying

You're listening to the Ravens press Pass podcast. Makes you subscribe to the feed, also leave a rating and a review. Now let's get back to the Lamar Jackson press Her.

Well, Mar, you mentioned uh your mother as your manager, uh trust hers more to your relationship with her, cause you describe your mother's influence on you getting your life, what it means to your family to come up on this sort of reward financially, and your plans.

From mother's there helping with her.

Uh yeah, She's a huge influence on my life just by you know, her just raising four of us, you know, m my my younger brother, my two sisters. I'm the oldest, me being the oldest. And just see how she grind and work without complaining, not wanting me to get a job, you know, telling me to focus on football and she gonna take care of everything else. Just seeing that and was like, you know, if she can do that, I

What it means to your mother or you say, and your family to to be rewarded in this way. You can again the mother's day playing.

It means a lot to my family and myself, you know, just from you know, being being in a place where we wasn't before. You know, just you know, another step, uh, another step in stone of anything for Mother's Day. Uh, I don't know. I think I I I got a gift already. I think she's satisfied right now.

Or something.

Uh. I probably give your car, cause give us some flowers or something. Some flowers. Women love flowers. They can't go wrong with flowers.

Is that true? Oh?

No, you know these days, you know, one on them shows, she was like, I don't know, does.

It mean to you? I mean, it was five years ago when you went through the old your housets and beating. People were questioning whether you could even play. We're back and.

Now today you're the highest peed player.

What does that mean to you?

Uh?

Like I said before, you know, they're just proving, you know, proving myself right. You know, it's not about what people say and this and that. You know, he says, she say back to that. You know, it's it's about believing in yourself at the end of the day, you know, keeping God first, because you know, without him there's no

Do you an'll have any impact on your negotiatings.

I'm not. I didn't worry about Jaylens deal.

You know.

It was like you know, we came to terms. We we came something both both of us mutually agreed on. Like I said, now we're here, John, this offense now with Lamar signed and get say Flowers after the draft, Obj, how.

Excited argued about.

This real thing?

Doesn't be maybe one of the more explosive offenses you've had.

Oh sure, you know Nelson. Nelson's in here working hard. The rest of the receivers. I'm sure. I think Mark's coming in next week or the week after.

He'll be in here.

A bunch of the linemen are in it. It's gonna be a lot of fun. You know, Lamar's already looking at the playbook even probably before you know, you probably gotta sneak peak at it before I'll bet if I know you at all. But it's got a chance to be it's got a chance to be exciting and fun. It's got a chance to be a winning offense. That's what we always want to be. But you know, the expectations are always high. Like Lamar said, you go back to twenty eighteen, that's all. That's all you think about.

Mark.

I want to get kind of your thoughts on that too.

You've seen guys like Dings go to Buffalo and you know, top be good mind and what weapons have done for quarterback? Having three new guys, how eager are you to work with them, And how much of a jump do you think you and all can make working with those three guys together.

Oh man, I'm very eager. I'm very eager. Left to be honest with you know, are I told? I think I told someone like man, I wanna throw for like six thousand yards with the weapons we have, like you know, and I'm not an individual or type of guard stat watcher, you know, I just wanna do that, you know, cause no one ever done, and I feel like we have

Maren uh Eric's Ben asked a lot of questions about, you know, with you and this these negotiations.

Like it's what did you learn about you know, Eric as a negotiator or the you know where the opposite art news two years off.

I didn't have to learn anything about Eric man he's a business man. You know, I already knew that about him. I knew it. I was, you know, f gonna be you know, going through you know we where Eric. It was nothing to learn. You know, he's like I said, he's a business guy. You know, he meant business the whole time of process. You know, was a professional of the whole process. I was cool with it right during.

During these negotiations, these players here, and you can put out a big message a legging collusion in the league relative to paying players like Lamar. If you're on the front lines of these negotiations, there will.

Be more coming forward. What can you say anything about such a congrogation?

Not much, you know, Uh, I speak to Lamar, Lamar speaks to me. There's no collusion when it's me and Lamar speaking together. I think the conversations were great. I always understood where he was coming from, and I always think he understood where I was coming from. Certainly we always didn't agree necessarily, or we would have got a deal done a lot sooner. But the respect has always

We weren't rally of all these weathers in the passing game.

But as a running quarterback, there an older lightning the industry in the league.

A coach, do you anticipate a conscious effort to have you along the last this year?

But that a how will you.

Whether that money counts the senior league?

That's really that's a great question, bo I know, it's something that we get asked all the time, Lamar, you get asked it all the time too, And it really is no conscious decisions along those lines. In the sense that Lamar is a unique player. He plays you know, why say it? Sometimes you called Lamar ball, right, Lamar? I mean I tell him all the times he play like you play you you style because you are so unique to your point there's nobody that plays like you.

L maar.

Doing this process, we've heard a lot of Lamar and he's an agent. Now you've gotten this deal done. Do you plan to continue to represent yourself even going forward.

To your career?

I do, well, I do. I wouldn't put my trust in anyone else but myself.

Mark, You're you're adored from the Multiplex beauty and the little kids wearing your jersey everywhere.

What does it mean to you to remain in his community?

Man?

That means a lot to me. I love the fan base like like crazy, like I can't even explain it, like how much I love the fan base. You know, I was getting messages from them, like like people crying, like sad and my DMS. I'm like, man, like they got me sad. I'm like bro, like y'all don't know what's going on, Like just calm down, man, like we making progress. I want to tell them we're making progress, but I don't want to tell them because don't want

Saying, you know.

And I mean I love it. I love the community so much.

Man.

It's like I tell everybody it's my third home because Florida Louisville, they ain't here, like, but I'm here for five years, so like this's my home home right now.

And you were your own agent.

Were there are other agents that actually reach out to you for trying to represent you?

Absolutely, every every week it was somebody new texting me. I don't know how he was getting my number. I guess they were sending it to each other, like, man, you know, I got this client right here. I'm like, man, I do not care about your client. But yeah, every week it was a new agent.

Did you have any contact with Steve his time and error?

He said it was you and Lamar, what was Steve's his what during this time of then you asked.

Me no questions because he was talking to me. Then he went to and went to looking at I was confused a little, but okay, no I didn't I was talking strictly to Eric.

Really, yeah, you know, I think I'm blessed mark that you know Steve. I think John would say the same thing, Like Steve gives us a chance to do our jobs. He'll provide advice and guidance. He's great at that.

You know.

He's got a great perspective on negotiation and just basically on life in general, the nature of people, on various things. And he would give me feedback and he would give me ideas and suggest and different.

Things if I asked.

But he's really kind of hands off, which I appreciate. You know. That's what makes this place, I think so special to work. And he supported me, as did John, and as did Ozzie and Dick and Sashi and Nick and Pat and George and Joe and all those guys supported me. But in the end it was really me and Lamar and we got it done.

How would you kind of evaluate these kinds four or five years as duty around Lamar. How does I guess how Lamar's has to jure, he compete, He waits for what he's done, what people.

Were to build it.

Yeah, you know, i'd probably give us, give us a B. I mean, we've done a lot of good things, but we haven't achieved what we said we would, but Lamar said he would.

We're not there yet.

In twenty eighteen, Lamar stood up there and he said, what we were going to do it. We're not there yet, but we're going to get there and right away. The team's not set yet. We still have a few months to build the team out. But I think you can feel the energy, you can see the rocks stre It's a strong roster. We got a lot of really really good players in place, excellently coaching staff, and we've got

To be in an A.

Well, Laura, I ask something that came up in the lust question. I want to make sure are you fully medically kid?

Yeah? I passed.

Everything's I'm great, yea, Lamar, do you think you'll get some of these players together on your own in.

Florida before yet.

Oh man, hopefully you know what guys. You know, some guys like to work out with with their personal trainers and stuff like that. But hopefully I can get the guys together and we you know, we started building right our chemistry right then and there.

As the process wow down and you know, how did you balance Lamar the agent and being a businessman that you wanted to be a Lamar the player the human that you know, just wanted to be rated getting healed up?

Oh that was easy, you know, And it was time for me to be Lamar Jason the agent. I was Lamar Jason the agent. But you know I really didn't have to be the player because I wasn't on the field. The only thing I was doing with training, So it was pretty easy for me.

You and General will sit best. I will find themorrow we're back and that's gonna work out.

One will give to the confidence in two with the times when I believe you might not have been played as.

Confidence, was it a way that wouldn't go?

Yeah?

I mean I just think you know, we were trying to build the best team we could. Lamar's in our minds, the best quarterback in the league. And you know, uh, I just believe, you know, when I think about challenges that I faced, you just can't quit. You gotta persevere. You got to try to find solutions, you know, And so I kept trying to find different ways of coming

And just give up.

And you you know, we just didn't.

We didn't.

We didn't want to do that. It wasn't the best thing for the club, it wasn't the best thing for the city, for the NFL. We believed it wasn't the best thing for Lamar. So we just kept trying to persevere. And you know, there was some dark days. I mean, I'm not going to lie to you and say every day was great. It's been a long stretch. But we know Lamar, we know the kind of person he is,

Well, the structure of the deal you a little more wiggled him to, you know.

Make some of the movies that you've talked about, continue adding to the team over the next three months.

Well, we will get a little bit of relief. We

Okay, I can't. But with the deal done, have you treated you alt that anything nice? Well, you treat your sult anything nice.

No, I haven't. Like I said, I got my mom something that's you know, my manager. I feel like she deserved anything because I seen she was getting uh she was getting her name called out a lot, you know, getting her number called out a lot. So I, you know, I felt like she deserves something, if anything. Oh, I'm cool. You know, I'm cool for nowe.

Lamar under the he said she said there was a report that you went to the Ravens and said, uh, you wanted O'Dell and DeAndre Hopkins?

Is that is that?

Is that true?

No?

It was a question like can we like basically like can we get Oldell and dr? Like it was a question and it wasn't like oh I want them or nothing else, like nah, that's not how you conduct business.

So how do you how do you when they when.

You'll get Odell? Wh When does that? What does that mean to you?

When they already were good, you know, a yell and after you kind of being that suggestion.

Uh, I was hyped, like we we got O'Dell. Man, there was a super Bowl Winter Receiver. I felt like before it's injury, he was gonna be the Super Bowl MVP. You know you don't take away from Cooper Cup cause he bought it up, you know, out of control. But I felt like O'Dell Beckham was on the version of When the MVP, you know, so I'm hyped about it.

Last last one guy, John, Uh, we heard the reaction and where Eric was when the steel started to come together?

Where did you hear when this heel was coming together? Multi reaction?

Such an embarrassing question. Actually I was. I I was in and uh it was early.

It's about five forty five or so in the morning, and uh, I all of a sudden, I'm in my closet getting dressed, and I hear Johnny you in there.

You know, It's like like it was Eric's voice.

It's like, oh, it was just like Eric, it's kind of early.

Man, and give me a second.

So I came out and he told me the story that you guys heard from the night before, and that he thought that that something was gonna happen. And of course, you know, there's a lot of a lot of a lot of joy at that moment. So then I held my breath for a couple of days, obviously, and then here we.

Are, all right, pleasure get here, You're listening to the Rape Press Pass podcast. That was quarterback Lamar Jackson, head coach John Harbaugh, and general manager Eric Decasta. Lamar was fresh off signing a new five year contract to keep him here in Baltimore. You can tell he was excited,