Baltimore Ravens franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson has officially requested a trade after an offseason of instability.
The team's Super Bowl and AFC odds have tanked since the chaos began in January — but haven't moved since Jackson issued his formal request.
At BetMGM, the Ravens' odds to win the Super Bowl have fallen from tied-for-seventh (+1800) to tied-for-ninth (+2500) since open.
That puts Baltimore in the same class as the Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins, according to the market.
Baltimore's odds to win the AFC have fallen, too, from 10-1 to its current mark of 14-1.
While the Ravens had been considered just below the top AFC contenders in the Chiefs (+300), Bills (+450) and Bengals (+500), Baltimore has now fallen below the Jets (+800), Chargers (+1200) and Dolphins (+1200) in the conference hierarchy.
Baltimore is tied with Jacksonville as the seventh-most likely team to win the AFC.
Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (CO, DC, IL, IN, LA, MD, MS, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY). Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 21+ to wager. Please Gamble Responsibly. Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS, NV), 1-800-327-5050 (MA), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI). Visit BetMGM.com for Terms & Conditions. US promotional offers not available in Nevada, New York or Ontario.
And in the AFC North department, the Ravens have steadily fallen below the Browns as second-best division favorites. While the Bengals have remained firm favorites at +110, the Browns sit at +300 while Baltimore has fallen from +225 to +325 in that marketplace.
As aforementioned, these falls were baked into the market prior to Monday. Bookmakers had been anticipating the possibility that Jackson would launch this request as contractual leverage.
The saga started in January, when Jackson posted a statement without his team's knowledge saying he would miss the team's playoff game against the Bengals the following Sunday.
The franchise quarterback had injured his knee in December and didn't play a snap afterward. That forced the Ravens to suit up with backup Tyler Huntley at the helm in a playoff game they barely lost.
The discontent from that decision spilled over into the offseason and permeated in several manners, most recently with a dispute over Jackson's representation.
That — and stymies in contract negotiations — precipitated this trade request. Jackson is slated to earn about $32 million this year after the Ravens slapped him with a nonexclusive franchise tag. While he's able to negotiate an offer sheet with another team, the Ravens are permitted to match. If the Ravens don't match the offer sheet, they'd receive two first-round picks from the opposing team.
Jackson also reportedly turned down a hefty contract extension last September for $175 million in guarantees. He's looking for something in the ballpark of what Deshaun Watson earned — $230 million in guaranteed money.
Teams are wary to dole out those long-term contracts, though, due in part to Watson's below-average performance — and the paltry performances of other quarterbacks that recently received hefty guarantees.
The three biggest contracts of late — Watson's, Kyler Murray's and Russell Wilson's — have all fallen horribly flat. Watson put up far worse numbers than his backup Jacoby Brissett did last season filling in. Watson had been suspended for the season's first 11 games after at least 22 women credibly accused him of sexual assault and misconduct.
Meanwhile, Murray ($103 million guaranteed) and Wilson ($124 million guaranteed) were also in the bottom quartile among NFL quarterbacks last season.
