Both sides expressed on multiple occasions their desire to strike a deal before Jackson went into his fifth season, in which he will earn $23 million.

“Those things will work themselves out in the end. I’m confident in that,” Head Coach John Harbaugh said. “I said at the beginning that it will happen when it’s time, and when it’s time it will happen. So, Lamar [Jackson] is playing quarterback, he’s going to be playing quarterback here for a long time.”

If the Ravens and Jackson do not reach a deal before next March 7, Baltimore would have the option to use the exclusive franchise tag on Jackson.

On Wednesday, Jackson said the two sides were still talking. With the season-opener just two days away, all focus will now only be on the 2022 season.

“He and I talked about it yesterday a little bit, like, ‘Hey man, let’s go be our best, and go focus on football,'” Harbaugh said. “That’s what he’s been doing all along, so I know nothing will change with that. [We’re] just focused on Sunday.”

It has been an unusual negotiation because Jackson does not have an agent. Jackson said he is “comfortable” with that arrangement.

“I’ve been pretty cool, Eric has been pretty cool with it,” Jackson said.

For those who say Jackson is betting on himself this season, the quarterback doesn’t view his decision as any riskier than playing other seasons.

“It was a pretty big risk last season, the year before,” Jackson said. “I wasn’t thinking about contract negotiations around that time. This season, it’s going to be the same thing, but I’m just playing football. Anything can happen, but God forbid the wrong thing happens, I’m keeping God first and just playing ball, like I’ve been doing.”

The Ravens have been down this road before as Joe Flacco played out his rookie contract in 2012. It paid off for both sides, as Flacco and the Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII and Flacco earned the biggest contract of all-time that offseason.