Lamar Jackson is yet to commit his future to the Baltimore Ravens. But Ravens Executive Vice President and General Manager Eric DeCosta is confident that an extension can be struck before March next year. Ravens star Lamar Jackson has just two years left on his contractGettyThe two-time NFL MVP has just two years left on his current deal – a five-year, $260 million contract – which would see him become an unrestricted free agent after the 2027 season.But the 29-year-old has expressed an interest in extending with the Ravens, which would also be hugely beneficial, financially, to the team. “I’m optimistic. I feel good about it,” DeCosta said. “We would love to get a deal done as soon as possible. I really don’t like to get into details. I’m not going to talk about it specifically. “I think Lamar and I have a pact. As you all know — I’ve said it probably 50 times — we’re not going to talk about business publicly. It’s a different type of negotiation, because it’s a different type of negotiation with Lamar.”If an agreement cannot be reached with Jackson, who serves as his own agent, before March, then his salary cap number would balloon to $84.34 million in 2027, which is almost one third of the team’s entire budget.However, should all parties agree to an extension, then Baltimore could then convert a large part of his 2027 base salary into a signing bonus. This would then allow for the cap hit to be spread across future years, thus lowering the cost. “We’ve been in this position before,” DeCosta added. “I think it’s just communication, right? Lamar and I have a great relationship, and we talk. That’s what it really amounts to — communication.“We try to compensate our players, our best players, as well as we can. And you can look at that from an average standpoint. You can look at that from a guaranteed money standpoint, a term standpoint, incentives, whatever that is. We try to be fair-plus with our players. “I think over time we’ve proven that for the most part. It’s important to us. We want to be recognized as one of the best organizations in sport.”DeCosta appears confident the Ravens can strike an extension with JacksonGettyJackson serves as his own agentGettyWild trade scenario emergesJackson is owed $52 million in cash in each of the next two seasons, but holds all the leverage due to having both a no-trade clause and a no-franchise-tag provision in his current deal.Of course, the team restructured his current contract over the 2026 offseason in order to free up additional cap space worth an estimated $40 million.The sooner they can sign Jackson to an extension, the better, having been involved in a contract standoff in 2023 which led to him revealing on social media that he had requested a trade.DeCosta and the rest of the Ravens brass are hoping to avoid a repeat scenario.“We’ve dealt with that distraction before,” DeCosta said. “There’s only so much we can do. So that’s what I would say on that.”Should things go awry and Jackson decides to seek pastures new outside of Baltimore, though, NFL insider Jason La Canfora believes that the New York Jets could emerge as a landing spot. La Canfora believes the Jets may try to bring Mike Tomlin to the team, which could see a cascade of stunning movesGettyThis is because he feels that the Jets are biding their time before they try to make a swoop at former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach-turned-analyst Mike Tomlin in 2027. “A potential Tomlin hire could immediately trigger secondary moves across the league, with conversations pointing toward a pursuit of two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson,” Canfora wrote. ” Multiple league executives believe Jackson could explore potential trade avenues following previous extension standoffs.“If Tomlin takes the reins in New York, where the Jets boast premium draft capital—including three first-round selections—there is a belief Jackson would strongly evaluate the destination. “The pair share a deep mutual respect built over years of AFC North battles, and New York’s defensive core provides an immediate foundation for a contender.“Combined with Johnson’s history of pursuing marquee names and Tomlin’s preference for veteran quarterbacks, the alignment is clear.”Only time will tell.