Which team is the best fit for Lamar Jackson?

The Colts have been stuck in quarterback purgatory for the longest time now. Their hunt for a long-term option under center has seen them start seven different quarterbacks since Luck abruptly retired before the 2019 NFL season. Those starters have had a combined record of 31-34-1 with Philip Rivers the only quarterback able to lead the Colts to the postseason. A slither of hope is needed for a team that has been eating a steady diet of mediocrity for a couple of seasons now.

With the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Colts could feasibly land one of the top quarterbacks in the class. That’s a clear pathway to a franchise signal-caller, but there are no guarantees that any of them pan out. Trading for Jackson gives you all of the guarantees in the world. He’s proven himself to be a winning quarterback with a 49-21 career record as a starter and, as a former MVP and still only 26 years old, he’ll be the starter for the long haul.

Indianapolis might be the best fit schematically too. The Colts’ new head coach Shane Steichen has a familiarity with working with dynamic dual-threat quarterbacks. He was most notably the Eagles’ offensive coordinator for the last two seasons and had a real hand in the fast development of Jalen Hurts. There’s a clear reason to believe that Steichen would be able to get the best out of Jackson as a passer just as much as a ground threat then - something you could argue the Ravens have struggled to do over the last few years.

The draft capital? Check. The scheme fit? Check. And the need? Double-check. The Colts should be considered one of the frontrunners.

Ranking bottom 10 in DVOA, yards per game, and EPA per play (per Football Outsiders) the 2022 New England Patriots offense was an undeniable mess. After a strong rookie season, Mac Jones slumped in his sophomore year, completing 65 percent of his passes for 2,997 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 14 starts. To his credit, everything around him, from the playcalling bravado of Matt Patricia to a shaky offensive line stunk.

While it provides context, it doesn’t absolve Jones of blame. His play, in general, did drop off and he missed three games through injury before being benched after a poor start against the Chicago Bears upon his return. He would start the rest of the way, but it’s clear that there was a disconnect in the locker room. Even now, Bill Belichick isn’t ready to commit to either Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe. Is that because he’s lining up a move for Lamar Jackson? Maybe.

If you believe Meek Mill, the Patriots are Jackson’s preferred choice. As offensive fits go, it would take a little work. The Patriots aren’t blessed with offensive weapons, with the best pass catchers technically being tight ends Mike Gesicki and Hunter Henry, but we’ve seen Jackson work despite that before. Although, that doesn’t necessarily mean he should or wants to do that again.

Historically, this doesn’t feel like a Patriots-like move, but this is a team looking to get back into the playoff picture and Jackson gives them a real chance to do that.

Like the pumped-up version of the Colts, the Washington Commanders have been wandering the wilderness forever, looking, hoping, and praying to find a franchise quarterback in some capacity. Kirk Cousins was the closest thing the Commanders got to that in recent history, and the list of quarterbacks to play for them since is a who’s who of bottom-rung signal callers.

You could argue that the Commanders like what they have in Sam Howell and look all set to move forward with him as their starter, but he’s only started one (meaningless) NFL game. He could develop into a decent starter over time, but Howell still has a lot of growing to do. There are just too many variables at play to be sure. The fact that the Commanders also brought in Jacoby Brissett on a one-year deal worth $8 million shows that even the front office isn’t fully sold on Howell.

If that’s the case, the Commanders must be aggressive and join the Jackson sweepstakes. This is a franchise that has been directionless for just too long. They haven’t had a winning record since 2016 and the offense has largely struggled during that time. The fanbase surely deserves some sort of compensation for enduring that and Jackson fits the bill perfectly.

Pairing Jackson with the Commanders’ new offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy would be a real treat too. The former Chiefs’ coordinator would have an excellent time building an offense for one of the most dynamic players in the NFL and the results could be magic.

It is worth noting that the Commanders are still for sale, though. If a deal is wrapped up quickly, which is unlikely, then new ownership might be keen to get the fans on their side and trade for a superstar quarterback like Jackson. Or, Dan Snyder might decide to trade for Jackson, give him a massive, fully-guaranteed, contract, and let new ownership foot the bill just because.

Of all the teams on this list, the Detroit Lions are in the best position. That feels weird to say but true. As it stands, the Lions are the betting favorites to win the NFC North — something they haven’t done since 1993. Of course, it’s just the offseason, and being crowned the offseason champions is a title no team covets, but the Lions have played their cards right in free agency and still have two first-round picks to play with in the 2023 NFL Draft.

The need for them to upgrade at quarterback isn’t desperate. Jared Goff has been impressive since he arrived from Los Angeles two years ago and head coach Dan Campbell is a big fan of his. The need to improve on defense is evident too — adding two high-impact defensive players could be the tipping point that the Lions need to push them over the edge. The question is: What’s the ceiling with Goff under center?

He’s a heady pocket-passer with good arm talent and is behind one of the best offensive lines in the league, but his mobility and ability to handle pressure in the pocket have always been scrutinized and he’s not what you would call the most creative quarterback. He’ll struggle to make a play when the play goes off-script, but within a system he’s great.

Sentimental Lions fans might not like it, but there’s a real lack of a ceiling with Goff compared to Jackson. With Goff under center, the Lions are likely a top-five or six team in the NFC. That’s great and something the Lions haven’t been used to recently, but the vision could be so much more with Jackson. With him at quarterback, there’s a real chance they are one of the best teams in the NFL, period. The Lions are legitimate contenders in the NFC with Jackson.

As with every trade here, any potential deal is going to cost the Lions upwards of two first-round picks. They’ll probably do everything they can to make sure they hold on to one of their picks (most likely No. 18) in 2023, but if push comes to shove and only two 2023 first-round picks will do? It wouldn’t be a shock to see the Lions pull the trigger.

Talk about your fun fits. While the Falcons’ offense didn’t always pack a punch in 2022, the coaching staff at least demonstrated the ability to design and run an offense that caters to mobile quarterbacks. Marcus Mariota and Jackson are on different planes of existence, though, so the potential of what Arthur Smith could do with a trio of Jackson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts is limitless.

The Falcons were one of the first teams to rule themselves out of the Lamar Jackson sweepstakes when the news of the Ravens slapping the non-exclusive franchise tag on him broke. That was likely a message to both the Ravens and Jackson, letting both sides know that they won’t be the ones to let the market set the market and that they’re not willing to give Jackson a fully-guaranteed contract.

That was almost a month ago, though, when it wasn’t public knowledge that Jackson had requested a trade. Time flies by fast in the NFL and it seemed destined that Jackson would find his way back to the Ravens one way or another. That prediction feels far murkier now. Knowing what we know now, will the Falcons change their tune?

It would be asinine not to. Running through Jackson’s achievements again isn’t necessary, but whatever option the Falcons have at quarterback right now —whether it is to start Desmond Ridder or hope that a quarterback falls to them with the No. 8 pick in the draft — pales in comparison to the prospect of landing Jackson. He’ll change the fate of the franchise in a hurry and make the Falcons’ offense one of the best in the league too.