NFL analyst floats wild Lamar Jackson trade scenario involving Jets

Colin Cowherd has always been one to let the hot takes fly, and his latest one certainly qualifies as such. The longtime NFL analyst recently suggested that if the Baltimore Ravens decide to move on from Lamar Jackson, the New York Jets would be an obvious team to make a serious offer.

On its own, that sounds like classic talk-show speculation, but in this case specifically, it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. While a Jackson trade remains unlikely, there is genuine speculation about his uncertain future coming out of Baltimore.

Longtime Ravens insider Mike Preston of The Baltimore Sun reported last week that concerns about Jackson’s durability and maturity could eventually force difficult decisions in Baltimore. That alone raised some eyebrows.

Jackson has missed significant time this season dealing with a back injury, including Saturday night’s game against the Green Bay Packers, and even when he has played in recent weeks, he’s clearly been limited.

The idea of the Ravens moving on still feels unlikely, but the fact that a Ravens reporter is even broaching the subject is notable, and it naturally invites speculation about who would be ready to pounce if the unthinkable happened.

Could the Jets actually trade for Lamar Jackson this offseason?

There’s a reason the Jets keep coming up in these conversations. They are expected to aggressively pursue a quarterback this offseason after the Justin Fields experiment failed in disastrous fashion.

Plan A is still likely the draft, where the Jets could be eyeing prospects like Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza or Oregon’s Dante Moore, but this isn’t viewed as a particularly strong quarterback class.

The non-draft market isn’t appealing either, with stopgap options and question marks leading the way. If a true franchise quarterback were to become unexpectedly available, however, the Jets would have to at least explore it.

Of course, few teams are better equipped to do so. The Jets own five first-round picks over the next two years and two second-rounders in this year’s draft, giving them more trade ammunition than any team in the league.

That flexibility is exactly why Cowherd pointed to the Jets as a logical suitor, even though Preston’s report specifically mentioned the Miami Dolphins and the Tom Brady–led Las Vegas Raiders as more immediate possibilities.

There’s also the question of price. On Saturday night’s Sunday Night Football pregame show, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio speculated that Jackson could be had for less than two first-round picks if the Ravens ever did put him on the block.

That’s purely speculative and requires important context, however. Three years ago, Jackson could have been acquired for two firsts, but no team made that move, in part because Baltimore used the exclusive franchise tag and could match any offer. Florio's speculation was largely based on that.

None of this means a Lamar Jackson trade is imminent. It probably isn’t. But the vibes around Baltimore are undeniably off, and the Jets are heading into an offseason with no quarterback solution and no reason to limit their options.

Cowherd may be speculating, but if something shocking does happen, the Jets have both the need and the ammunition to make it very interesting.