Offseason workouts for veteran players are always debated among analysts and coaches regarding whether their attendance is necessary. For the second year in a row, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson chose not to report to team activities before mandatory minicamp — a move many other veterans make for various reasons.
Whether to stay in shape with their personal trainers or hold private workout sessions, veteran players can skip non-mandatory workouts like OTAs. However, for Jackson, there’s a key detail in his contract that could make him regret that decision if something goes wrong.
Lamar Jackson Skips Offseason Workout Sessions, Loses Out on $750,000
The offseason for veteran players is always full of surprises for the media. Between contract disputes, holdouts and various controversies, each player makes their own decisions leading up to training camp — some even choosing to take on fines to skip training periods like mandatory minicamps, which are set to take place in the coming days.
In some cases, contracts are structured so that bonuses are tied to performance goals and even attendance at team workouts. This is the case for the Ravens quarterback, whose $43.5 million contract this season includes a $750,000 bonus for participating in at least 80% of voluntary offseason workouts.
Jackson didn’t meet that number of sessions for the second straight year, which cost him that bonus and reduced his salary to $42.75 million for 2025. As Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio noted in an article, it’s a small figure compared to the total amount, but $750,000 is still hard to ignore.
This begs the question: Wouldn’t it be easier for Jackson to just show up? While it seems like an easy answer, some players prefer to extend their time away from the team facilities as long as possible — whether to train with a personal coach or spend more time with family before the intense grind begins.
There isn’t much debate around Jackson’s approach, especially as this is the second year in a row he’s made this decision — even head coach John Harbaugh doesn’t seem concerned. It’s simply Jackson’s choice, and while it may sound surprising financially to the public, it barely moves the needle in the context of his total earnings.
John Harbaugh on Lamar Jackson not attending the Ravens’ second week of voluntary OTA: “The measure for any player is how they play. I’m not measuring really the attendance. It’s a voluntary camp. When Lamar’s out here, I promise you he loves being out here. So he’s my guy.” pic.twitter.com/QFxEuJ5MWo
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) June 6, 2025
“The measure for any player is how they play. I’m not measuring really the attendance. It’s a voluntary camp. When Lamar’s out here, I promise you he loves being out here. So he’s my guy,” Harbaugh said.
In 2024, Jackson was the top quarterback in the PFSN Offense+ metric, throwing for 4,172 yards and 41 touchdowns, adding 915 rushing yards and four scores on the ground. His performance earned him First-Team All-Pro honors and a second-place finish in the MVP race — a level the Ravens hope to see again in 2025 as they continue their pursuit of a third Super Bowl title.