NFL free agency 2023: Ranking the 5 best quarterbacks available

1. Lamar Jackson

Jackson is the No. 1 quarterback slated to hit free agency by a wide margin. He’s a former MVP who is a game-changer for the Ravens’ offense when he’s healthy. That doesn’t mean things haven’t gotten a bit weird for him in Baltimore.

His murky injury status down the stretch of the regular season combined with his reported demands for a fully guaranteed contract has caused some doubt about his future with the Ravens. Most still expect to see Jackson extend his future with the team that drafted him, but a departure now wouldn’t be the most shocking thing in the world.

The Ravens likely fear giving Jackson a fully guaranteed deal because of how much he runs the football. He takes more hits than most quarterbacks in the league and that will always put him at risk of missing games. Jackson would likely point out that running the ball is what Baltimore’s coaches ask of him and that’s why he’s looking for such a significant guarantee.

There’s almost zero chance the Ravens will allow Jackson to leave without receiving significant compensation in return. They can apply either the franchise or transition tag to him to restrict his movement. Doing so would also buy time for them to negotiate harder with Jackson and his representatives.

In the end, Jackson will likely return to the Ravens on a massive contract extension. If he doesn’t, a host of teams will attempt to pry him away from the team that drafted him.