Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Kurt Benkert has emerged as a prominent voice in NFL media since his retirement. Not one to shy away from controversy or to make his opinion known, the former Green Bay Packers quarterback took to social media to not only remind fans of the recent story that continues to develop, but possibly more. Was it also a subtle nod toward his MVP choice for this season?
Former Green Bay Packers QB Take
Benkert posted on Twitter (X) about a topic that continues to receive much debate over what transpired.
Remember all those teams that colluded saying they had zero interest in Lamar Jackson?
At this point, it is unclear if the Baltimore Ravens were playing a form of 3-D chess, or if there was a concerted effort to ensure that the Deshaun Watson contract did not reset the market. However, as a restricted free agent, his current form, particularly coming off of impressive wins against the San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins looks like a potential missed opportunity for teams in dire need of a quarterback today.
After receiving the nonexclusive franchise tag put negotiations with Jackson in a difficult scenario of potential dominos. It allowed Jackson to negotiate with other teams, but the Ravens would have the ultimate decision.
The Ravens could then either elect to match any offers or be compensated with two first-round picks in return for the quarterback. The eventual decision of Jackson to stay in Baltimore was not a surprising factor. What was surprising was how little interest the former MVP garnered in the open market.
Former Green Bay Packers Quarterback Reference
So what is the former Green Bay Packers QB referring to exactly? Well as mentioned earlier, it is well known that NFL owners and management were not happy with the fully guaranteed contract that Deshaun Watson received from the Cleveland Browns.
So how are the two connected? Well according to people like the former Green Bay Packers quarterback, the owners colluded to make sure the the Watson contract did not truly reset the market. Instead, the franchise tagging and free agency moment were just shams to make it look like normal negotiations.
Now skeptics will have a couple of points to counter with. Teams did not want to take the risk of overhauling their roster like the Ravens had for an injury-prone-styled quarterback. It is also possible that teams would not want to alienate their current QB room or perspective-free agents by showing interest in someone that everyone knew the Ravens would match an offer for. Either way for some it was not usual business, especially with how needed a dynamic playmaker is at that position.
Former Green Bay Packers Words Have Some Support
The claims of collusion received newfound support from an article penned by Mike Florio:
The failure of quarterback-needy teams to not take a second look at Lamar had nothing to do with making a given team more competitive. It had everything to do with advancing ownership’s not-so-subtle collusion when it comes to players, coaches, and pretty much anyone/everyone else on the payroll.
While we are waiting for what emerges from the owners who were questioned under oath about the possible series of events, the overall point of the former Green Bay Packers quarterback is a valid one.
Politics play a role in the NFL just like they do in any organization, and with how Jackson has been playing as of late against the best teams, he’s out to prove to himself that he is the best in the world, collusion or not.
