The Lamar Jackson drama continues to drag on, and NFLPA exec Demaurice Smith believes there’s something fishy going on.
Jackson is currently signed to a non-exclusive franchise tag with the Ravens which allows him to negotiate with other teams.
Via NBC Sports
The team notified the NFL that it has placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on its star quarterback.
The non-exclusive tag comes in at just over $32 million for 2023 and gives Jackson the power to negotiate a long-term deal with other teams.Meanwhile, non-exclusive tags allow players to negotiate with other teams. If they receive an offer, their current team has the opportunity to match. If they opt not to match the offer, they’re entitled to receive two first-round draft picks in exchange.
Lamar Jackson was allowed to other teams since Wednesday but there doesn’t appear to be any team interested in negotiating with him because they either don’t want to give up two first-round picks or they don’t want to pay Jackson what he’s asking for.
On Sunday, NFLPA executive director Demaurice Smith accused owners of “criminally gaming the system” against Jackson.
“The NFL Draft and the franchise tag system exist because owners have colluded in the past to both depress and restrict markets,” “This time, they are criminally gaming the game itself.”
The free agency period is a time when our union and its members can see how far we've come, while also understanding what's still at stake when it comes to player empowerment. Here's why that's particularly true this year.https://t.co/tG2KM43N1L pic.twitter.com/da18eKdJuQ
— DeMaurice Smith (@demauricesmith) March 17, 2023
