Report: NFL told teams they cannot negotiate with Lamar Jackson through Ken Francis

The NFL told teams they are not allowed to negotiate with Ken Francis, a Florida man who is Lamar Jackson’s business partner. Jackson says Francis never tried to negotiate for the quarterback but because Jackson doesn’t have an agent, there could be an avenue for teams to contact him through Francis.

Here’s the venture Jackson and Francis are woking on.

The former Baltimore Ravens quarterback has reached a standstill in negotiations with the team, who eventually placed a non-exclusive franchise tag on him. Jackson can now talk to other interested teams, who would have to surrender two first-round picks to acquire him if the Ravens don’t match an offer sheet. So far, there have many teams to deny interest in pursuing Jackson despite his accomplishments.

There are theories of the NFL colluding to prevent Jackson from getting what he wants, and it’s hard to see this most recent report as anything except that. Telling teams how they can and cannot approach a negotiation with Jackson reeks of collusion, although it’ll be hard to prove if Jackson does want to pursue some type of legal action.

Jackson reportedly wants a fully guaranteed contract, which is not an uncommon demand for a player of his stature. His recent injuries might give some teams pause but the upside with Jackson is tremendous. We’ll see if there’s any progress on a deal soon.