Lamar Jackson rumors: Dolphins, Raiders among five teams not pursuing QB after he received non-exclusive tag

On Tuesday, the Baltimore Ravens made the decision to place the non-exclusive franchise tag on star quarterback Lamar Jackson. With the 2019 NFL MVP having permission to negotiate with other teams, many expected the Atlanta Falcons to be in the running to acquire Jackson. However, that is not the case.

Per CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones, the Falcons are not pursuing Jackson. Things can change, of course, but Tuesday’s news apparently did not interest Atlanta.

The Falcons released veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota last month, and have Desmond Ridder and Logan Woodside on roster at this point. The rookie Ridder went 2-2 as the starter last year, and completed 63.5% of his passes for 708 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. The Falcons hold the No. 8 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and could choose to chase a quarterback with that selection. 

With Jackson receiving the non-exclusive tag, he is free to talk with other teams, but the Ravens have the right to match any offer he is presented. If Jackson were to sign with another team and Baltimore declined to match the offer, Jackson’s new team would send two first-round picks to the Ravens. 

The Falcons are joined by the Miami Dolphins, Carolina Panthers, Washington Commanders and Las Vegas Raiders as teams not pursuing a deal with Jackson, per Field Yates. 

Guaranteed money is reportedly a reason why Jackson hasn’t inked a long-term deal with Baltimore, and that’s something an interested team will have to take into consideration when pursuing him. One reason the Falcons were thought to be a team in on Jackson is because they currently have the second-most available cap space with $66.4 million, per Over The Cap. A few other teams with major cash to spend are the Chicago Bears ($94.6M), New York Giants ($46M), Houston Texans ($40.8M) and Raiders ($39M).