What Team is the Best fit for Lamar Jackson?

Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens have been in contract negotiations since last offseason and have yet to reach a deal. With both parties yet to reach a deal, the Ravens put the nonexclusive franchise tag on him, meaning any team can make an offer to him, and the Ravens can then make a counteroffer. Even though this tag was put on Jackson, people close to the situation told the media how much Lamar wanted to stay with other Ravens. However, as seen in his latest Twitter thread, Jackson has requested to be traded.

After learning that Jackson wishes to leave Baltimore via trade, let's look at the best potential spots for him to land. One team that Jackson can definitely land on is the Tennessee Titans. Like the Ravens, the Titans are a run-first team meaning that Jackson would fit their style of play well.

Jackson being traded to the Titans means he would be on a team with one of the best running backs in the NFL, Derrick Henry. Henry has rushed for over 1000 yards in three of the last four seasons, and if it were not for an injury, he would have had 1000 yards in four straight seasons. Pair that with Jackson, who has shown he can rush for 1000 yards; the Titan's running game becomes even more potent.

Going to Tennessee can also help Jackson's career longevity. The amount of times Jackson gets hit because of his running will drop, thanks to Henry's ball carrying. Not getting hurt is especially important for Jackson since he has missed ten regular season games due to injury over the past few seasons.

While joining the Titans would be a lateral move for Jackson, he might have some of the same problems he did in Baltimore. Like Baltimore, the Titans do not have the most developed wide-receiving core making it difficult to succeed in the passing game. The underdeveloped passing game forces Jackson to scramble and make plays with his legs more often, which can harm Jackson's career longevity.

Another good landing spot for Jackson is in the nation's capital on the Washington Commanders. Washington has been searching for an upgrade at the quarterback position for the last few seasons. Jackson can be the answer to Washington's quarterback problem.

Going to Washington would be a significant change for Jackson since they run more of a balanced game plan which means more passing. Jackson's ability to be a good passing quarterback has been a highly debated topic since he entered the NFL. On the Ravens, he had a weak receiving core making it difficult to assess his passing ability. However, if Jackson goes to Washington, he would have a strong receiving core making it easier to show his passing abilities.

To go with the better passing game, the Commanders also have a potential up-and-coming star at running back, meaning that Jackson will have some help in the running game. Looking at the defensive side of the ball, the Commanders are stacked there, too, with players like Chase Young and Montez Sweat. With the addition of Jackson, Washington would be an immediate playoff contender.

While there may be other teams that are still looking for answers at the quarterback position, the two teams laid out above make the most sense for Jackson to land. It will be interesting to see where Jackson ends up at the start of the 2023 regular season. When new updates on Jackson come out, they will be covered here.