The bad news in Baltimore is good news for the rest of the AFC North, including the Browns, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Ravens are having all kinds of issues in their contract negotiations with quarterback Lamar Jackson. He wants what Deshaun Watson got from the Browns, and more, but the Ravens, who were fit to be tied with that $230 million guaranteed contract that the Browns gave Watson, are bound and determined that they are not going to give it to him. They are willing to pay him a lot, but just not that kind of money.

Jackson isn’t just the quarterback of the Ravens, but rather he is the ravens. Without him, they become very ordinary, if not downright mediocre. They know it, although they would never admit it.

They’ve got to find a sweet spot in trying to retain Jackson, but to do so with reasonable money, in their estimation. That might be impossible to do.

Meanwhile, as the Browns, Bengals and Steelers work in the offseason to build their rosters and hone their schemes, the Ravens are essentially at a virtual standstill because they don’t know if Jackson is going to be their quarterback. The fact that they also have a new offensive coordinator serves only to make the situation that much more muddled. The Ravens will put in a new offense, obviously built around Jackson, but it won’t do them any good if Jackson’s not there next fall.

That’s too bad for the Ravens, but I couldn’t care less about the former Browns franchise. And the Steelers and Bengsls would say the same thing.

Jackson has all the leverage in the world. He doesn’t have to play this season if he doesn’t want to, but in doing so, he would leave the Ravens devastated. He knows that, and the Ravens know that, too.

It will be interesting to see how it all plays out, but no one else in the division would be sad to see Jackson leave it.

Steve King