It’s clear that the Indianapolis Colts are in need of a quarterback, and when Lamar Jackson announced on Monday that he had requested a trade from the Baltimore Ravens, the Colts were naturally among the teams suggested as potential destinations for Jackson. But even though Colts general manager Chris Ballard says the team will consider Jackson, that’s not the impression team owner Jim Irsay gives.
The Colts are free to negotiate with Jackson now after the Baltimore Ravens placed a non-exclusive franchise tag on the former MVP quarterback. Irsay made it clear that the team can afford the salary Jackson will demand, telling Stephen Holder that “the money is not a problem.”
However, Irsay did seem to have a problem with the draft capital the team would have to give up in order to give Jackson an offer sheet: two first-round picks.
Just wrapped up a late night chat with Colts owner Jim Irsay…
The takeaways:
1) Regarding Lamar Jackson, he was emphatic "the money is not a problem," but instead took issue with the draft capital/compensation (didn't speak to fully gtd deal to be clear)
— Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) March 28, 2023
Even more concerning, Irsay told Zak Keefer of The Athletic that he does not believe in fully-guaranteed contracts, which Jackson was reportedly seeking from the Baltimore Ravens.
“As an owner, I do not believe in fully-guaranteed contracts,” Irsay said, according to Keefer. “I think that a percentage is one thing, but from what I’ve seen from the NBA and baseball, I don’t see it as a positive competitively.”
Colts owner Jim Irsay, asked tonight about fully-guaranteed contracts and the NFL:
"As an owner I do not believe in fully-guaranteed contracts. I think that a percentage is one thing, but from what I’ve seen from the NBA and baseball, I don’t see it as a positive competitively."
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) March 28, 2023
So while the Colts remain open to the possibility of adding Jackson, it also does not look all that likely.
