Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti made it clear back in January that getting a new contract done with Lamar Jackson was a priority. After parting ways with head coach John Harbaugh, Bisciotti told the media he wanted something finalized before NFL free agency opened up.
He also floated the idea of restructuring Jackson’s current deal if extension talks stalled. The Ravens ended up going that route. The adjustment does not add years or change Jackson’s overall earnings. It is purely a cap maneuver to free up space.
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Jackson was facing a $74.5 million cap charge for 2026, with his base salary sitting at $51.25 million. The contract he signed three years ago gave the team room to convert a chunk of that into a signing bonus.
NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero broke down the revised numbers once the restructure was complete.
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His deal now includes a massive $49.95 million signing bonus, paired with a $1.3 million base salary and a $750K workout bonus.
Details on Ravens QB Lamar Jackson's restructured contract:
$49.95 million signing bonus
$1.3M base salary
$750K workout bonus
The Ravens also added a void year. So Jackson still makes $52M this year, but his cap number drops by $39.96M in 2026 — and rises to $84.49M in 2027.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 13, 2026
The payout for Jackson in 2026 stays at $52 million, but the cap impact is a different story. Baltimore tacked on a void year to buy flexibility now. That slashes Jackson’s cap number by nearly $40 million this season. The catch is his 2027 cap hit shoots up to $84.49 million.
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Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson looks on during warmups before a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images
The Ravens were racing against time to create space for their newest addition. Trey Hendrickson’s four-year, $112 million contract needed to fit under the cap before the league’s cutoff on Wednesday.
Baltimore got it done by the afternoon, wrapping up the deal with the four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher just before the new league year started at 4 p.m. ET. The agreement came together in less than a day after the team stepped away from pursuing Maxx Crosby in a trade.
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