Lamar Jackson's future is still very unknown and on Monday the quarterback announced that he asked for a trade from the Baltimore Ravens. One option for Jackson are the New England Patriots and owner Robert Kraft is not ruling it out.
Kraft told reporters that rapper Meek Mill texted him three or four days ago to let him know that Jackson wants to be a Patriot. Kraft did not say the 26-year-old would be in Foxboro next year, but he also did not say it's out of the question. Kraft announced that it is up to head coach Bill Belichick (per Karen Guregian).
Meek Mill performed at Kraft's wedding, the two have hung out on Super Bowl weekends and Kraft visited the rapper in prison while advocating for his release and the two have a clear friendship that has lasted for years.
Jackson has not confirmed where he wants to go, but has said that the Ravens are not "interested in meeting [his] value" and he wants a team that will.
The quarterback received a non-exclusive franchise tag this off-season, meaning he can negotiate with other teams and the Ravens have a chance to match any offer, or receive two first round picks if they decide not not to match. The situation seems to have gone from bad to worse between Baltimore and Jackson and the likelihood of him in purple and black next season is becoming slimmer by the day.
Belichick did not give much away on whether he is looking to bring in Jackson. When asked if he would "envision a scenario where the Patriots would pursue" Jackson, he gave a blunt answer, saying (per Mike Reiss), "I'm not going to talk about players on any other team."
When pressed further, he was adamant about not commenting.
"Period," he said when being reminded that Jackson is a free agent.
The Patriots had Mac Jones as their starter last season on a struggling offense. Kraft mentioned that the team is making changes that will set Jones up for success and noted that he is in the building every day. If it is not Jackson, Jones will likely get the starting nod, but even that is not guaranteed. Belichick said (via NFL.com), "Everybody will get a chance to play. We'll play the best player," when asked if there could be a competition between Jones and backup Bailey Zappe, who got a chance to play briefly last season.
Last season, Jones went 6-8 in the 14 games he played in and started. He completed 65.2% of his passes for 2,997 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Comparing him to the other quarterback in discussion, Jackson played in 12 games in 2022, with an 8-4 record, 62.3 competition percentage, 2,242 yards, 17 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.
Jackson's resume includes an MVP, first-team All-Pro honors, two Pro Bowl selections and he was the NFL's passing touchdown leader in 2019. Jackson has proven he can be a threat on the ground and in the passing game. He has some playoff experience, appearing in four games with a 1-3 record.
New England's quarterback
