What is going on with Lamar Jackson and why has the NFL warned teams about negotiating with him?
With the QB still officially in the shop window, it’s anybody’s guess whether he will stay or go. To make matters worse there’s now a bizarre development to consider.
From the earliest days of Lamar Jackson’s standoff with the Baltimore Ravens, it was very obvious that the situation wasn’t going to be straightforward. That has now been made even more clear after reports suggested a very strange scenario related to Jackson’s immediate future.
Lamar Jackson denies NFL report about fake agent
According to multiple reports, the NFL sent a memo to all teams in the league, informing them that they are not to negotiate with a man going by the name of Ken Francis, who claims to be negotiating on behalf of Baltimore Ravens quarterback, Lamar Jackson.
“The NFLPA has informed us that a person by the name of Ken Francis, who is not an NFLPA certified agent, may be contacting Clubs and attempting to persuade Club personnel to enter into negotiations with or concerning Lamar Jackson,” the memo read. “Clubs are reminded that, under Article 48 of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, an Offer Sheet, which may result in an NFL Player Contract, may only be negotiated with the player, if he is acting on his own behalf, or with the player’s NFLPA certified agent. ...Violation of this rule may result in disapproval of any Offer Sheet or resulting. Player Contract entered into by Mr. Jackson and the new Club.”
What was Lamar Jackson’s response?
It wasn’t long before Jackson took to social media to make his position clear. “Stop lying that man never tried to negotiate for me,” Jackson posted on Twitter. Yet, what remains unclear is just who Ken Davis is and more importantly, why he claimed to be negotiating on Jackson’s behalf. To be clear, Jackson does not have a certified NFL agent and as such, represents himself. With that in mind, this latest development makes what has already been an unpredictable situation even more so.
As we know, negotiations between the former MVP and the Ravens are at a standstill. Earlier this month Baltimore placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on Jackson after the two sides were unable to agree on a long-term extension. What that means is that the QB can accept an offer from another team, but the Ravens would have the opportunity to either match it or receive two first-round picks as compensation from the interested team. Jackson for his part would be compensated to the tune of $32.41 million salary for the 2023 season if he signs, however, given that he has yet to agree on anything, it’s still unclear as to how this pans out. What we do know is that he is seeking a lucrative multiyear deal. Ultimately, both parties have until July 17th to come to an agreement, so as always, watch this space.