Former NY Jets RB wants Lamar Jackson this offseason
By Justin Fried
Rumors are going to swirl over the coming months regarding what the NY Jets will do at the quarterback position, but if you ask former Jets running back Bilal Powell, there's one obvious solution.
Powell wants Lamar Jackson in New York.
The nine-year NFL veteran was asked on Twitter who he wants the Jets to target as their QB in 2023, and he responded with the former MVP himself.
Jackson is set to be a free agent at the end of the season, but it remains a longshot that he isn't a member of the Baltimore Ravens next season. Still, with his contract situation as murky as ever, perhaps there's a world where Jackson ends up with the Jets after all.
It's a worthwhile pipe dream at the very least.
Lamar Jackson is a pipe dream for the NY Jets
The Jets will very likely be searching for an answer at the quarterback position this offseason. Zach Wilson has imploded in his second year in the NFL and they haven't seen enough out of Mike White to make him the unquestioned starter in 2023.
Jackson is far from the most likely option, but the fact that he's an option at all means he's someone Jets fans need to keep an eye on.
The two-time Pro Bowler is in the midst of a contract impasse with the Ravens with the primary dispute coming with guaranteed money. Jackson wants a fully-guaranteed deal very much in the realm of what Deshaun Watson received from the Cleveland Browns.
The Ravens have been hesitant to give Jackson a contract with that kind of guaranteed money, mostly because of their own organizational philosophies regarding player contracts. It's just not their style.
If the Ravens aren't willing to give him the fully-guaranteed deal he's seeking, you'd best believe numerous other NFL teams will — very possibly including the Jets.
The Ravens could, of course, place the franchise tag on their star quarterback, but nothing is stopping Jackson from doing everything he can to force his way out. Would it get to that point? That remains unclear. But Jackson does hold some cards.
Ultimately, it still seems rather unlikely that the Ravens can't figure out a way to make things work with Jackson, and it also seems unlikely that the Jets would be the most likely landing spot for him if he was traded.
But with the Jets clearly in search of a new quarterback, he has to remain in the conversation. At best, he's probably a pipe dream, however. Don't get your hopes up.