Lamar Jackson: Baltimore Ravens quarterback reveals he requested a trade from the team and tweets goodbye to fans
Lamar Jackson: "As of March 2 I requested a trade from the Ravens organization for which the Ravens has not been interested in meeting my value... No matter how far I go or where my career takes me, I'll continue to be close to my fans of Baltimore Flock nation. You'll See me again"
Last Updated: 27/03/23 5:09pm
Lamar Jackson has revealed that he requested a trade from the Baltimore Ravens on March 2, with the team "not interested in meeting my value".
In a series of tweets posted over social media on Monday, Jackson essentially said goodbye to Ravens fans, adding: "You'll See me again."
Jackson is currently a free agent with a non-exclusive franchise tag placed on him, which means he is free to negotiate a contract with other teams. If a team signs Jackson to an offer sheet and the Ravens don't match the offer, that team would send the Ravens its next two first-round draft picks in exchange for the quarterback.
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In a "letter to my fans" on Twitter, Jackson wrote: "I want to first thank you all for all of the love and support you consistently show towards me.
"All of you are amazing and I appreciate y'all so much. I want you all to know not to believe everything you read about me. Let me personally answer your questions in regards to my future plans.
"As of March 2 I requested a trade from the Ravens organization for which the Ravens has not been interested in meeting my value, any and everyone that's has met me or been around me know I love the game of football and my dream is to help a team win the Super Bowl.
"You all are great but I had to make a business decision that was best for my family and I.
"No matter how far I go or where my career takes me, I'll continue to be close to my fans of Baltimore Flock nation and the entire State of Maryland. You'll see me again."
As Jackson was sending his tweet, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was meeting with reporters at the NFL's annual owners meeting in Phoenix.
Asked about the news regarding Jackson and a potential trade request, Harbaugh said: "I haven't seen the tweet.
"It's an ongoing process. I'm following it very closely, just like everybody else is here and looking forward to a resolution.
"I'm excited. Thinking about Lamar all the time. Thinking about him as our quarterback. We're building our offense around that idea."
The Ravens placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson on March 7, five days after Jackson requested a trade according to his statement.
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said at the time: "There have been many instances across the league and in Baltimore when a player has been designated with the franchise tag and signed a long-term deal that same year.
"We will continue to negotiate in good faith with Lamar, and we are hopeful that we can strike a long-term deal that is fair to both Lamar and the Ravens.
"Our ultimate goal is to build a championship team with Lamar Jackson leading the way for many years to come."
Jackson was the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 2019, and his dynamic passing and running make him one of the game's biggest stars.
He missed the final five games of the 2022 regular season, plus the Ravens' wild card playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, with a knee sprain
At 26 years old, Jackson is already one of six quarterbacks in NFL history with 10,000 yards passing and 4,000 rushing.
His 12 games with at least 100 yards rushing are an NFL record. He has a 45-16 record as a starting quarterback in the NFL.
