There is no doubt that sports athletes are just as big in the celebrity world as film and music stars these days. Many of the biggest names have transcended the sports they play and become bona fide celebrities in their own right. The amount of money these athletes earn has put them on the same level as anyone topping the bill in Hollywood.
Football has always been the most popular sport in the US and one of the top players in the NFL right now is the Baltimore Ravens quarterback, Lamar Jackson. Earlier this year he made a lot of headlines when he stalled on a new contract, believing that he was worth more than what the Ravens valued him.
If you have any experience of betting on football, you will know that Lamar Jackson is one of the most exciting young players in the league. So how much does he earn a year? And what is his net worth? Read on to find out all about this young star of the NFL – and how much money he earns for his incredible talents.
Who is Lamar Jackson? What is His Net Worth?
Lamar Jackson is a football player for the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North division of the NFL. He is currently playing in his sixth season in the league and has already won the NFL MVP award – but has not yet been able to take his team to the Super Bowl.
After the Ravens placed a non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson in March, he requested a trade, demanding a move because of Baltimore’s decision not to “meet his value”. But just a month later he signed a new five-year deal worth $260 million – or $52 million a year. At the time, that contract made him the highest-paid player in NFL history.
Thanks to other sources of income, including a $72.5 million signing bonus, Lamar Jackson’s estimated net worth is now around $40 million. It seems like his knowledge of his own worth was well rewarded. That is especially true when you consider that Jackson did not use an agent to negotiate the deal. That alone saved him around $5.5 million in agent fees.
Early Life
Lamar Demeatrice Jackson Jr. was born in Pompano Beach Florida on January 7th 1997. His father died when he was just eight years old, so he and is siblings were raised by his mother.
Jackson showed an early aptitude for sports and played Pop Warner Football in Florida, alongside future teammate Marquise Brown, who is now with the Arizona Cardinals. Jackson went on to run on his high school track team but was better known for his prodigious football skills.
Career
Jackson’s ability to throw and run with the ball made him a three or four-star recruit, depending on the organization, and there seemed to be a lot of different opinions about just how good a player he could be. In the end, Jackson committed to the University of Louisville and played three seasons as a Cardinal. He won the Heisman Trophy at that time and the school eventually retired his number.
Even at that point, some pundits questioned his quarterback abilities and suggested that he should switch positions to be a wide receiver ahead of the NFL Draft. But Jackson stuck to his guns and was taken in the first round, 32nd overall, by the Ravens who gave him a rookie contract worth around $10 million.
Jackson initially began his career in Baltimore as a back-up QB but soon took advantage of an injury to the starter to announce himself to the NFL. In his first season, he started seven games, winning six, throwing for six touchdowns and rushing for five more.
His second year was when Lamar Jackson really became a star of the league though. He led the Ravens to a 14-2 record, playing in all but one game, ensuring that Baltimore was the number one team in the league. He threw for a career-high 36 TDs, while remaining a dual-threat quarterback, rushing for seven more. His performances won him the NFL MVP award and it was expected that the Ravens could go all the way. A surprise loss to Tennessee in the Divisional Playoffs ended the dream though.
Since the 2019 season, Jackson has played fewer games every year because of persistent injuries. But he is still a phenomenal player who has led Baltimore to the playoffs every season aside from the last one. After an offseason of uncertainty, thanks to his contract dispute and negotiations, Lamar Jackson is now enjoying another stellar season in which it seems as though his team will be back in the playoffs after a year’s absence.
Jackson lights this place up during the season
Personal Life and Family
For such a huge football star, little is known about Lamar Jackson’s love life. His last known girlfriend was Jaime Taylor – but that was back in 2019. Thanks to his social media accounts, it is known that he does have a daughter, however. Milan was born in 2021.
Latest reports have Jackson living in Owing Mills, Maryland, just 20 minutes from the Baltimore Ravens training facility. He shares his house with his mother, brother, and sisters.
It is refreshingly uncommon just how private Lamar Jackson likes to keep his private life in today’s celebrity world. But Ravens fans won’t care, as long as ends up bringing them another Super Bowl win in the next few years.
Rupali Gupta is a blogger and professional writer who loves to write about technology and entertainment. She is always up to date with the latest celebrity news and the entertainment world.