Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has requested a trade from the team, according to his recent tweet.
The Ravens placed the nonexclusive tag on Jackson on March 7, but he reportedly requested the organization to trade him five days later.
The trade request comes amid a new offensive coordinator, Todd Monken, who was hired last month to replace Greg Roman.
Despite the trade request, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh expressed his excitement about Jackson and said that the team is building around him.
Jackson’s situation is unusual because he is a player of his caliber leaving his original team in his prime.
There have been conflicting reports about Jackson’s contract negotiations with the Ravens. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that Jackson had asked for more guaranteed money than the Browns granted Deshaun Watson last summer.
However, Stephen A. Smith, Fowler’s ESPN colleague, reported that Jackson’s “camp” refuted such claims.
CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reported that the Ravens offered Jackson a contract worth $200 million guaranteed, but Jackson declined the offer.
Jackson mocked the ESPN report on Twitter, adding further confusion to the situation.
The trade request has sparked rumors about potential destinations for Jackson. One report suggests that the New England Patriots are interested in trading for Jackson and envision him as their starting quarterback.
However, there has been no official confirmation from either team about any potential trade.