Lamar Jackson Pulls Off Brilliant Move, Allows Jalen Hurts' Agent To Basically Negotiate His Contract Without Paying Any Commission

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Jalen Hurts shocked the NFL world when he signed a deal to become the highest-paid player in the league. But that lasted just 10 days. Lamar Jackson signed a new contract with the Baltimore Ravens and immediately surpassed Hurts.

But the true genius here is how Jackson pulled it off.

Part of the reason that Jackson and the Ravens struggled to agree to a deal is because the recent quarterback signings didn't provide a great framework.

Lamar Jackson signed a new contract with the Baltimore Ravens and immediately surpassed Jalen Hurts' record-breaking contract.

Lamar Jackson signed a new contract with the Baltimore Ravens and immediately surpassed Jalen Hurts' record-breaking contract. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Baltimore certainly didn't want to match the Cleveland Browns' ridiculous $230.5 million fully guaranteed deal with Deshaun Watson. Daniel Jones isn't nearly the same player as Jackson, so his contract didn't help.

Kyler Murray's deal probably served as the jumping off point, but Jackson certainly wanted higher guarantees. Plus, Murray got a six-year deal and Jackson is a couple years older now than Murray was then.

Then, Jalen Hurts came into the picture. His agent, Nicole Lynn, negotiated a great deal for Hurts. And, for her troubles, she'll take a hefty commission for getting that done.

But Jackson brilliantly used that deal to negotiate his own.

Except with no commission attached.

There was a lot of talk about Jackson not having an agent, and I believe that held this deal up. At least, until Hurts came along.

Jackson essentially took Jalen Hurts' contract to the Ravens and said "I want a little more than him."

And Jackson has had a better career than Hurts, so that really became a no-brainer for the Ravens.

But look just how similar the terms are for the deals.

Jalen Hurts: five years, $255 million, $180 million guaranteed.

Lamar Jackson: five years, $260 million, $185 million guaranteed.

It's practically the same deal. Except, Jackson got $5 million more ($1 million per season) both total and guaranteed.

And, unlike Hurts, Jackson gets to keep all of it. Well, after the US Government takes its cut, of course.

Lamar Jackson signed a new contract with the Baltimore Ravens and immediately surpassed Jalen Hurts' record-breaking contract.

Lamar Jackson signed a new contract with the Baltimore Ravens and immediately surpassed Jalen Hurts' record-breaking contract. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Yes, not having an agent led to a lot of drama throughout the process. With Jackson acting as his own advocate, he had to both negotiate the deal and play the part of manager and PR rep.

By leaking a trade demand last month, Jackson applied pressure.

As soon as Hurts signed, it appears the two sides had their deal in place.

Gotta tip your cap to Jackson, honestly. Not the cleanest negotiation, but he got it done and he gets to keep it all.

Good work, Lamar.

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to Outkick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named “Brady” because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.