Here’s why Lamar Jackson is being compared to Kirk Cousins

Lamar Jackson and Kirk Cousins have very little in common.

Jackson is a young, hip quarterback who uses his mobility to his advantage. The veteran Cousins isn’t a statue in the pocket, but scrambling’s definitely not his thing.

So why does Jackson, four years into his NFL career, keep popping up in all these recent comparisons to the former Washington signal caller? 

Money.

The 2019 MVP is entering the fifth-year option on his rookie contract, and he doesn’t seem in a hurry to sign a long-term deal with Baltimore. Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti on Tuesday repeated the sentiment of general manager Eric DeCosta, who suggested earlier this offseason that the team was more eager to extend Jackson than the quarterback was.

“But it’s like, Eric can’t keep calling him and say, ’Hey Lamar, you really need to get in here and get this thing done.’ That’s not a GM’s job,” Bisciotti said. 

Bisciotti then name-checked Cousins while discussing Jackson’s situation — a comparison some fans and reporters have made this offseason as it’s become clearer that Jackson is in no hurry to sign a long-term deal. Despite attempts by then-Redskins general manager Bruce Allen to sign Cousins, the team’s replacement for Robert Griffin III preferred to play on a year-to-year basis. And it worked for Cousins’ bank account. 

“Kirk Cousins did it that way,” Bisciotti said. “What if Lamar says that? I’ll play on the fifth year, I’ll play on the franchise, I’ll play on another franchise and then you can sign me.”

Cousins’ maneuvering by not signing a long-term deal in 2017 — as well as his consistent play as a statistically above-average quarterback — has made him one of the wealthiest players in the history of the NFL. He played on the franchise tag for two seasons in Washington — totaling about $44 million — and then signed a three-year, $84 million contract with the Vikings that was fully guaranteed. Then, despite making the playoffs only once in Minnesota, Cousins this offseason signed an extension with the Vikings that netted him another $35 million in guaranteed money. 

By the end of the 2023 campaign, Cousins will have amassed more than $230 million in career earnings, and he’ll likely be set up for another short-term contract that could put him over $300 million. His $158.9 million in salary between 2016 and 2021 is the most by any player in the NFL.

Maybe Jackson has been taking notes. 

Kirk Cousins has a 59-59-2 record as an NFL quarterback, performs slightly above average, and has made $231,669,486 in his career

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) March 13, 2022

While his young QB counterparts Josh Allen ($150 million guaranteed) and Deshaun Watson ($230 guaranteed) have signed contracts in the past year, Jackson seems to be sitting back and waiting for the market to get even hotter than it is now. Also this offseason, Aaron Rodgers landed a deal with the Packers that paid him $50 million per year. And either this year or next, the Cardinals and Broncos are expected to shell out big money to keep quarterbacks Kyler Murray and Russell Wilson.

If Jackson and the Ravens don’t come to a long-term agreement, Baltimore will essentially be forced to franchise tag him in 2023 and 2024 (projected at $32 million and $39 million, respectively) before he hits free agency in 2025.

By then, what will the market rate be for an elite quarterback? Bisciotti thinks $60 million per year. 

“That gives me three years to win the Super Bowl so you can make me a $60 million quarterback, because that’s where it will be four years from now,” Bisciotti said. “That might be the case, but I don’t talk to Lamar. It’s not my role. I don’t know the answer.”

Bisciotti’s comments came after he questioned the logic behind the Browns’ contract with Watson, the embattled quarterback who has been accused by 22 women of sexual assault and sexual misconduct. After Cleveland traded three first-round picks to Houston for Watson, they gave him $230 million guaranteed — $80 million more than the previous record. 

“I don’t know that he should’ve been the first guy to get a fully guaranteed contract,” Bisciotti said. “To me, that’s something that is groundbreaking, and it’ll make negotiations harder with others.”

The Cousins strategy comes with risk, though. 

Jackson, who has led the Ravens to a 37-12 record in his starts, missed the last four games of the 2021 season with an ankle injury. The Ravens lost each of those games — seeing the team go from leading the AFC North to missing the postseason for the first time in Jackson’s tenure. And with him carrying the ball more than 10 times per game, his injury risk could be greater than the average quarterback. 

Adding another layer to the discussion is the speculation by some that Jackson’s wait-and-see approach means he doesn’t want to be in Baltimore. Jackson tried to squash those rumors on Twitter Wednesday after Bisciotti’s comments.

“I love my Ravens I don’t know who the hell putting that false narrative out that I’m having thoughts about leaving stop tryna read my mind,” he tweeted.

Bisciotti also made clear how he feels about Jackson. 

“Without a QB that you believe in, life sucks as an NFL owner and a fan base,” Bisciotti said.

“We’ll pay him when he’s ready.”