OWINGS MILLS, Md. — New Ravens receiver Odell Beckham Jr. said he didn’t get any assurances from Lamar Jackson that he would be Baltimore’s quarterback this season.
“The goal is to come here and have that possibility with him,” Beckham said at his introductory news conference Thursday.
Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said he hasn’t spoken with Jackson since signing Beckham, but he remains optimistic that the former MVP will be Baltimore’s starting quarterback this year.
“Lamar is in our plans,” DeCosta said. “We’re hopeful to still get a long-term deal. He’s the right player for this team.”
After Beckham reached a one-year, $15 million agreement with the Ravens, he had dinner with Jackson in Miami before the two went to a club together.
There has been increased uncertainty about Jackson’s future in Baltimore this offseason. Jackson announced that he had requested a trade from the team on March 2 and the Ravens then placed the nonexclusive franchise tag on him on March 7, which allowed him to negotiate with other teams.
If Jackson doesn’t sign an offer sheet with another team, he will have a decision to make. Jackson can either play under the $32.416 million tag or sit out the entire season to protest the tag.
DeCosta said Beckham is the right player “to take us to the next level.”
Addressing Beckham’s torn ACL that caused him to sit out last season, DeCosta said the Ravens “had a lot of players come back from this injury and flourish.”