ExtremeRavens Posted 20 hours ago Posted 20 hours ago INDIANAPOLIS — The Ravens are carrying a $72.5 million question mark into an offseason that could turn chaotic in a matter of days. Lamar Jackson’s scheduled 2026 salary cap hit hovers over the franchise as the legal tampering period opens next Monday and the new league year begins March 11. Around the league, agents are preparing leverage plays and front offices are lining up contingency plans. The Ravens, after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2021, have no shortage of uncertainty. Owner Steve Bisciotti made his preference clear earlier this offseason when he publicly challenged Jackson to come to the negotiating table, signaling he didn’t want his ballooning cap number to loom over the franchise as free agency approached. Jackson has two years remaining on his deal at $53 million per season, but only $29 million of his 2026 salary is guaranteed. The Ravens could create cap relief without Jackson’s approval by tacking on additional void years beyond the existing ones in 2028 and 2029, which would lower the immediate hit. Restructuring by adding void years would also push more financial strain into future seasons for general manager Eric DeCosta and company. The better solution for competitive balance and short- and long-term flexibility is another extension for the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player. With one week left on Bisciotti’s timeline, it doesn’t seem like either side is close. At the NFL scouting combine this past week, DeCosta was asked whether the Ravens needed to reach a restructure or extension with Jackson before free agency to operate. In what came off as a shocking twist, DeCosta suggested the team could conduct business either way. In other words, Jackson doesn’t necessarily need to sign a new deal, as Bisciotti suggested. Huh? DeCosta also said the team’s private communication structure with Jackson “worked well last time.” That’s technically accurate. It also understates how turbulent the last negotiation became. Jackson, who represents himself, publicly requested a trade on social media in March 2023 before ultimately agreeing to a five-year extension worth $260 million with $185 million guaranteed the following month. It was later revealed that portions of communication between Jackson and the team were disrupted because Jackson claimed his phone microphone wasn’t working. The saga ended with Jackson posting a celebratory video declaring, “The last few months, there’s been a lot of he-said, she-said. Lot of nail-biting, lot of headscratching going on. But for the next five years, it’s a lot of flock going on!” Will there be another announcement video soon? Or another private-turned-public standoff? DeCosta’s lack of visible urgency could signal confidence or difficulty at the current stage of negotiations. That level of tension isn’t confined to just one contract situation. Three-time Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum is set to hit free agency, and DeCosta volunteered that the Ravens have presented him a “market-setting deal,” offering language and course of action the typically guarded executive rarely uses publicly. What qualifies as “market-setting?” The current benchmark at the position belongs to Kansas City’s Creed Humphrey ($18 million annual salary). League circles believe Linderbaum could surpass $20 million per year given his credentials, especially with multiple teams, including the Los Angeles Chargers, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars and Washington Commanders, needing a center. If Linderbaum walks, it only compounds one of Baltimore’s biggest issues — the interior offensive line. About those issues … there was another subtle contrast that emerged from the combine that shouldn’t be ignored. When asked about Jackson’s participation in voluntary organized team activities, DeCosta downplayed the significance. Jackson is a two-time MVP, DeCosta noted, while implying that attendance at voluntary workouts isn’t a referendum on the quarterback’s leadership. Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta speaks during a news conference at the NFL scouting combine. DeCosta spoke this past week about Lamar Jackson's contract situation, suggesting it won't inhibit the team's plans in free agency. (Michael Conroy/AP) Like Bisciotti’s earlier sentiment about Jackson’s contract situation, DeCosta’s stance on Jackson’s offseason participation level struck a different tone when viewed alongside comments from new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. During his introductory news conference last month in Owings Mills, Doyle publicly challenged players to show up for voluntary workouts, stressing the importance of early buy-in with a new coaching staff. “Yes, we would expect [the players] to be here and, certainly, it is voluntary,” Doyle said. “But, if you want to say that you’re going to win a championship — [and if] you want to say that you have championship standards, and those are your goals and your expectations — certainly that’s going to take work, that’s going to take collaboration, and that’s going to take the beginning of building the relationship with their coaches, other players starting off this next regime on the right foot. “And so, that would be those guys getting in here, us being able to work with them hands-on to be able to kind of get this thing going in the direction that we want to, making improvements so that we set ourselves up where — when we come back in for training camp — we hit the ground running, and we already have kind of a shared knowledge [and] shared language, and we’re able to go right to work.” Jackson already has forfeited $1.5 million by not participating in the minimum amount of voluntary sessions over the past two offseasons. Will he bother to exercise and cash in his annual $750,000 workout bonus with a new coaching staff in place this time around? “You know what? Those are voluntary,” DeCosta said. “Lamar is a two-time MVP. I think he knows what it takes to get ready for the grind of the NFL season. He’s proven he can do it at a very, very high level, and I have no preference.” Despite Doyle’s aspirations for perfect attendance, it doesn’t sound like there’s much pressure coming from the top. Elsewhere, the Ravens have 24 pending free agents, 19 of whom are unrestricted. The list includes tight end Isaiah Likely, veteran wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, three-time All-Pro fullback Pat Ricard, soon-to-be 35-year-old outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, reigning All-Pro punter Jordan Stout, embattled right guard Daniel Faalele and veteran cornerback Chidobe Awuzie. Midseason acquisitions Dre’Mont Jones and Alohi Gilman are also set to hit the open market. Will the Ravens find resolutions with anyone before the legal tampering period opens next Monday? All of this unfolds as first-year coach Jesse Minter attempts to establish his voice inside the Castle. Minter has assembled a largely new coaching staff, including five defensive assistants from the college ranks. Sure, the Ravens can operate without a Jackson extension in the near future. But operating and optimizing the team’s apparent title window are two different objectives. Just ask the team’s owner. There is a path where this all settles quickly. There is another path where important negotiations linger, Linderbaum tests his leverage and finds a new home, and the Ravens enter free agency juggling all of their existing problems. This doesn’t have to become chaotic. But it absolutely could. Have a news tip? Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. Josh appears as a host on The Sun’s “Early Birds” podcast. 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