Lamar Jackson not having agent has caused contract controversy, claims former NFL GM

Lamar Jackson is embroiled in what could easily become a very ugly situation with the Baltimore Ravens. He wants a long contract with guaranteed money, but the Ravens aren't sure. They placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on him.

This situation is made more difficult by the fact that Jackson has no agent. He's representing himself in the matter, which makes negotiations more challenging.

It also makes it more awkward when he directly asks for something and the Ravens say no directly to him.

Michael Lombardi, a former NFL GM, believes the lack of an agent has hurt Jackson in this scenario.

Michael Lombardi said:

"I think he's hurt himself. Look, his mom, he trusts his mom, but you got to find somebody who's confident who can do this. Agents broker deals, the agent for Aaron Rodgers is going to broker that deal with the Jets."

Is Lamar Jackson in trouble?

He continued:

"That's how this deal gets, that's how it all gets happened and they also understand the value of the player in the open market. Pay a flat fee, I don't know what the deal is but you need somebody to broker this a little bit."

Agents do this sort of negotiating for a living, whereas Lamar Jackson plays the game. It's not his area, nor the area of anyone close to him. Lombardi believes he needs to bite the bullet and at least hire an agent for the time being.

If not, this situation could get uglier and Jackson could come out on the losing end.

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What's next for Lamar Jackson?

Lamar Jackson has made no headway towards a long-term contract with the Baltimore Ravens, but he's finally able to start looking into it. With the non-exclusive franchise tag on him, he can still talk to other teams.

The Ravens are hoping no other team matches what Jackson wants. If they do, though, the Ravens have the opportunity to keep Jackson for the same price. If nothing comes of it, they have Jackson on the roster for one year at about $32 million.

Jackson wants a bidding war for himself and the Ravens want the price to drop. It will be interesting to see what occurs when the bidding begins.