Jackson enters the fifth and final year of his rookie deal with no security beyond 2022, leaving open the chance for serious injury that could diminish his value. Baltimore, meanwhile, is taking a chance by not securing the 2019 AP NFL Most Valuable Player and allowing him to get uncomfortably close to free agency.

There hasn’t been much in terms of negotiation details. Jackson does not have an agent who might influence the public narrative by leaking specifics from an offer. Instead, he’s gone about his business as usual while refusing to stay quiet on Twitter, liking a photoshopped image of him in a Dolphins uniform and reveling in the long-running discussion surrounding his lack of a long-term deal.

The impasse could come down to total money. Deshaun Watson‘s fully guaranteed, $230 million deal with the Cleveland Browns tipped the scales of the quarterback market, and Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti was one of the first individuals to push back against the idea of giving one player (as Bisciotti put it, Watson specifically) that much money.

He had reason to react accordingly. As soon as Watson received the unprecedented contract from the Browns, the Ravens were on the clock, just like they were when Josh Allen — the seventh-overall pick in Jackson’s draft class — signed a six-year, $258 million extension more than a year ago.

That’s not exactly chump change, even for an NFL owner. Ultimately, though, it comes down to how much the Ravens value Jackson. They’ve yet to reach a Super Bowl with him, but they’re in the conversation for contenders annually because of him. Are they willing to pay for that prestige while knowing it hasn’t yet earned them a ring?

And is Jackson willing to revisit this at the end of the 2022 season? Or are we headed toward the unthinkable — Jackson reaching free agency — in 2023?

The franchise tag would prevent that from happening, but this remains a peculiar, fascinating situation that evidently isn’t headed toward a resolution soon. Winning a Lombardi Trophy would sure make things a lot easier.