Report: Titans and Vikings could emerge as suitors for Lamar Jackson

The Baltimore Ravens might have some stiff competition for Lamar Jackson, as the Tennessee Titans and Minnesota Vikings could emerge as suitors for the 26-year-old quarterback.

“There’s been no firm offer sheet for Lamar Jackson right now,” Jeremy Fowler of ESPN recently said on SportsCenter. “He has not signed his franchise tag, so this all has to be hashed out and really the draft could be a good indicator for the league. Because if there’s a team in the top 10 that can’t get its passer, let’s say they’re going for Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud and can’t get him.

 

“Maybe it’s Indianapolis at No. 4 if they don’t get their guy, they could pivot to Lamar Jackson and give up two first-round picks to acquire him. We just talked about the [New York] Jets. If for some reason the Aaron Rodgers trade would fall through — nobody expects that — they could pivot to Jackson. And then when you talk about good fits, I asked some executives around the league what teams would make sense.

 

“They mention Tennessee, who just cleared some cap space. They have a new GM Ran Carthon, who’s working on the roster. They could use a running quarterback; they have experience with that in the past. And even a wild card like Minnesota. Kirk Cousins has one year left on his contract if they want to reestablish their identity there.”

Tennessee could prove to be an exciting new home for Jackson, as the organization recently underwent a front office change. Therefore, it might want to change the team up by acquiring a new quarterback.

Ryan Tannehill has served as the squad’s main signal-caller since 2019. He was named the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year in 2019 and led the Titans to three consecutive playoff appearances and two division titles. However, he is already 34 years old and endured an injury-riddled 2022 campaign, which partly contributed to Tennessee’s late-season collapse that snapped the franchise’s playoff streak.

Acquiring Jackson would signal the start of a new era for the Titans.

The Vikings are in a similar situation in that they also have a 34-year-old starting quarterback. As Fowler alluded to, Cousins has just one year left on his contract, and Minnesota might potentially look to move on from him by shifting its focus to Jackson.

It’s unclear, though, if the Vikings would even consider a drastic move after they finished the 2022 season with a 13-4 record. Cousins was also named to the Pro Bowl for the second consecutive season.

Moreover, the four-time Pro Bowler has shown to be more durable than Jackson, rarely missing games over the past few years. On the other hand, Jackson hasn’t played in more than 12 contests in each of the last two campaigns.

It remains to be seen where Jackson lands in the following weeks. But it seems like he will continue his career with the Ravens, as the organization is reportedly quietly confident that it can match any offer sheet that might come his way.

Baltimore is the only home that the University of Louisville product has ever known in the NFL. Their partnership has run since 2018, when the franchise drafted him with the 32nd overall pick in that year’s draft. Ravens fans are probably hoping that the former MVP chooses to stay in Baltimore.