Lamar Jackson's New Contract Does Not Change His Need for an Agent
Lamar Jackson has been working his entire professional career without the safety net of an agent. And it looks like that will continue to be the case as on Thursday, he said he plans to continue to represent himself. Never mind that it's cost him millions over the course of his time in the NFL.
Yes, he signed a massive five-year, $260 million contract this week that will keep him in Baltimore for the foreseeable future. But he didn't get what he wanted ... a deal equal to the Deshaun Watson contract.
But in the end, he got the next best thing, and smartly, Jackson took the best deal he was going to get ... without the services of a skilled agent.
Watson's deal - for those of you who don't remember - was $230 million, fully guaranteed. Jackson received $135 million, with a practical guarantee of $156 million over the first three years, and $185 million over four years.
He also received a "no-tag" clause. That means when the deal is over, the Ravens can't franchise tag him again - assuming he's still in Baltimore at that time. He'll become a true unrestricted free agent in 2028.
It's a great deal for Lamar, but of course, it is. That was never in question. In the end, Baltimore paid him. They really had no choice all along.
It's basically the same offer he received from the team last September, with a few power-ups. A little more guaranteed off the top, and $10 million more total over the course of five seasons.
So yes, Jackson got a great deal without an agent. But now imagine how his career trajectory would've gone WITH one, as Pro Football Focus points out, things would be much different.
1. Jackson almost certainly would've been drafted higher than No. 32 overall.
"During the pre-draft process, agents who represent quarterbacks work to pump up their own clients and knock down other quarterbacks. The obvious goal is to get the client picked as high as possible.
"Lamar had no one to play that game for him. As a result, there was no agent singing his praises to teams or to members of the media. There also was no agent poised to push back on the bull**** from the likes of Bill Polian that Lamar should change positions in the NFL."
2. Lamar is suffering in the endorsements department.
"He could have (and perhaps should have) been the face of the Nike Jordan brand for football. That distinction instead went to Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. There likely were other potential deals to be done for the man who became the NFL’s MVP in only his second season."
3. With an agent, Lamar likely would've gotten his second contract after his third season in the league.
"Like Josh Allen and Kyler Murray did. Allen earned more than $41 million more than Lamar in 2021 and 2022. That difference will never be made up. And while Lamar is making more now, Allen will be back at the table sooner for his third deal — and he’ll surely emerge from those negotiations with a better contract than Lamar’s."
4. If Lamar really wanted the Deshaun Watson deal, an agent likely could have facilitated that, even if it wasn't with Baltimore.
"Lamar would have had to kick-start the process by requesting a trade from the Ravens and meaning it as Deshaun did. Without that kind of opening move, Lamar was never going to put another team in fully-guaranteed checkmate."
5. Once Lamar was tagged, he needed someone tirelessly knocking on doors and making phone calls to raise interest which would've resulted in many offer sheets.
"In the grand scheme of contract negotiations, it doesn’t take much for an agent to justify his or her fee. At the maximum rate of three percent, it’s another $3 million for every $100 million in contract value. Lower rates can be negotiated — and someone surely would have represented Lamar for less than three percent."
Yes, Lamar got a great deal for Lamar at the end of the day. But there's no question things could've gone even better for him with the services of a skilled agent along the way. Not just with his second contract, but beginning back in 2018 when he was first drafted.
The massive deal that he signed this week can never change that.
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