3 reason why Lamar Jackson will be forced to crawl back to the Ravens

2. His off-the-field behavior is too peculiar

Jackson doesn’t have major character concerns around the league, but there are things he’s done this offseason that have raised eyebrows in a negative way. The fact that he publicized his trade demand just as his head coach was speaking with the media at NFL League meetings didn’t put the talented quarterback in the best light.

Combine that with the fact that the NFL was forced to issue a memo stating that Ken Francis was not operating as a licensed agent on behalf of Jackson and it’s clear that the player’s inner circle isn’t playing the offseason perfectly. None of these actions would be deal killers on their own, but when you start to add them up it gives teams pause on committing to Jackson with a lucrative, multi-year deal.

The right strategy for Jackson would have been to stay silent this offseason. The idea of guaranteed contracts is likely going to garner favor with fans over the long haul. It’s a structure that’s already in place in the NBA and MLB. Fans would have flocked to Jackson’s side if that emerged as the narrative regarding his standoff with the Ravens.

Instead, Jackson has chosen to agitate for a move. That opens the door for fans to view him as a greedy individual. The flip side to that is that the Ravens can stay relatively clean in the court of public opinion. Giving the team the chance to occupy the moral high ground is a fatal mistake by Jackson and his representatives.