After a recent move by the Baltimore Ravens, Lamar Jackson no longer seems like a realistic quarterback option for the Indianapolis Colts.
Odell Beckham Jr. was one of the biggest remaining free agents, and there were reports that Beckham had a multi-day visit scheduled with the New York Jets this week. However, before making it to that visit, Odell shocked the NFL world by announcing that he was signing with the Baltimore Ravens.
Baltimore signed Beckham to a one-year deal for $15 million, with incentives that could take the money up to $18 million. That’s likely a price that no other team was willing to compete with. So now, the Ravens have a dynamic weapon who’s ready to prove that he’s still elite after suffering a knee injury.
What does any of this have to do with the Indianapolis Colts? Well, besides the fact that Indy isn’t getting OBJ (which no one expected to happen), this likely means the Colts aren’t getting Lamar Jackson either. With Jackson on the non-exclusive franchise tag, and making his trade request public, there was a belief that Indy could make a run at him.
After Baltimore’s signing of Odell Beckham Jr., and Jackson’s social media reaction to the signing, it doesn’t seem like Lamar Jackson will be leaving the Ravens anytime soon.
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) April 10, 2023
Odell Beckham Jr. makes Lamar Jackson to Colts unlikely
Regardless of how much money Baltimore offered OBJ, it’s very unlikely that he would decide to go there if he didn’t expect the Ravens to have stable quarterback play. Additionally, Beckham announced the news on Instagram with a picture of his son in a Lamar Jackson jersey. Immediately following the announcement, Jackson also took to Instagram to post pictures of him and Odell on FaceTime, accompanied with a video of Jackson saying, “I can’t fold.”
NFL insider, Jordan Schultz, also reported that Jackson and Beckham have been talking all throughout free agency about the possibility of teaming up in Baltimore to win a Super Bowl. The two were even spotted out together after the announcement.
So, that means the Colts are likely now all in on drafting a quarterback. Lamar Jackson always seemed like the less likely option for Indianapolis, but he was an option. Now, Jackson doesn’t seem like an option at all for the Colts.