The future of Lamar Jackson is currently one of the defining topics in the NFL. But for the Seattle Seahawks, the Baltimore Ravens quarterback wasn’t really an issue – for a very specific reason.

Lamar Jackson is keeping Baltimore Ravens fans and officials on tenterhooks at the moment, and supporters of other NFL teams are likely to be watching with interest to see what happens with the quarterback – especially if their own team could use a new playmaker.

One of these teams before the start of the offseason was the Seattle Seahawks. It was clear from the start that head coach Pete Carroll and the other decision-makers were happy with Geno Smith’s development. However, it was unclear whether an agreement would be reached regarding a new contract.

This succeeded, Smith received a new three-year contract and backup quarterback Drew Lock also remains in Seattle. But wasn’t Jackson also an issue? Carroll now spoke clearly on the subject. “I couldn’t see him being available. And we couldn’t have afforded him anyway,” the 71-year-old explained.

Lamar Jackson wants mega contract

Jackson has been demanding a fully guaranteed five-year contract worth a reported $230 million for some time. A demand that has so far prevented an agreement in negotiations between Jackson and the Ravens.

As a result, the Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on their playmaker – and Jackson officially asked for a trade. Interested teams, however, would now not only have to give Jackson his desired contract, but also give two first-round picks in the draft to the Ravens. Most recently, the Indianapolis Colts expressed interest in the 26-year-old.