Lamar Jackson Focused On Football, Says Baltimore Ravens Coach

The Baltimore Ravens are set to kick off the new NFL season this weekend when they take on the New York Jets in Week 1 while also dealing with Lamar Jackson's contract situation.

During the press conference for their season opener, head coach John Harbaugh was asked by The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec about where things stand between the franchise and their star quarterback.

"I don't have any updates on that. There's nothing that I'm aware of; it's been football, football, football for players and coaches. That's kind of where we're at. My interactions with Lamar [Jackson] have been all football, and he's been focused and locked in on that 100%," Harbaugh said, according to the official transcript posted on the Baltimore Ravens website.

It is common knowledge that Jackson wanted to sign his extension before Week 1, with Ryan Mink of BaltimoreRavens.com confirming the rumors at the time.

CBS Sports NFL insider Josina Anderson recently reported that "an improved offer is out" for Jackson and is waiting for his signature, though she also noted that Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti "would never green light a Deshaun Watson-style fully guaranteed deal at all." International Business Times could not independently verify this information.

The Cleveland Browns practically broke the market and set a new standard for elite quarterbacks this offseason after they sent the embattled quarterback a fully guaranteed contract worth $230 million over the next five years.

That simply means that whether Watson plays five games or all 16 regular season games per year, he will be getting the entirety of that money without any issue.

It is worth noting that the Ravens do not want to put themselves in such a situation by giving Jackson that type of deal since it greatly hamstrings their ability to scour the free agent market and bring in talent to work alongside him.

Rumors in mid-August also featured Jackson supposedly being offered a deal that is expected to surpass Kyler Murray's with the Arizona Cardinals, but he refuted that speculation via Twitter.

The Ravens understandably want to get a Jackson deal done this offseason in order to prevent him from being a flight risk next summer, though it is unlikely that he does leave because of how much he has invested in the city and its fanbase – including a Ravens-inspired tattoo on his chest two years ago.

Seeing Jackson in a Ravens jersey for the foreseeable future is the main priority for the franchise right now, and a deal could be struck anytime between now and potentially just a few hours ahead of their visit to New York on Sunday.