Quarterback Lamar Jackson’s most recent contract with the Ravens has made him one of the richest professional athletes in the world.
In Forbes’ list of the “World’s 10 Highest-Paid Athletes 2024,” Jackson ranked 10th overall.
“Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson rounds out the top ten at $100.5 million, although he’s significantly less active off-the-field.” Forbes’ Justin Birnbaum wrote. “Instead, Jackson joins the sports world’s best earners thanks to the five-year, $260 million extension he signed in May. It briefly reigned as the biggest contract in NFL history by average annual value, only to be broken by a pair of signal callers further down the list, Justin Herbert and later Joe Burrow.”
Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Al-Nassr soccer club in Saudi Arabia, is the highest-paid athlete in 2024 at $260 million.
Four other soccer players — Lionel Messi ($135 million), Kylian Mbappé ($110 million) Neymar ($108 million), and Karim Benzema ($106 million) – also cracked the top 10.
In April 2023, Jackson agreed a five-year deal with the Ravens worth $260 million. Jackson also became the highest-paid player in the league at $52 million per year. The deal includes $185 million in guaranteed money.
It proved to be a wise investment for the Ravens.
Last season, Jackson won his second NFL MVP award after throwing for 3,678 yards and 24 touchdowns with career highs in completion percentage (67.2) and yards per completion (8) over 16 regular-season games. He also led the Ravens with 821 yards rushing, averaging 5.5 yards per carry and five scores.
Jackson’s seven 50-yard rushing games gave him 54 in his career, tying Michael Vick’s all-time mark for quarterbacks. He also became the first quarterback to run for 700 or more yards in five consecutive seasons, He was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for Weeks 7 and 17.
The Ravens hope he can carry them to the Super Bowl in 2024, which would be money well spent.
