“Special Talent to Get Deals Done”: ‘Speculative’ Pat McAfee Applauds Lamar Jackson’s Business Acumen

After four years, Lamar Jackson is in the race for MVP again this season. Furthermore, his team, the Baltimore Ravens, have reached the playoffs after two years. But there was a time when the Ravens quarterback was being overlooked for this season.

Everybody knows how then-free agent Jackson cracked a big business deal of his contract with the help of his mom, Felicia Jones. Their offseason efforts have finally paid off, as he is considered one of the best quarterbacks this season, ranked in the Top 15 in passing yards. However, Pat McAfee and his team recalled the offseason issue of Jackson, applauding the QB’s business acumen and current league performance.

Lamar Jackson was not the choice of many teams?

In a recent episode of “The Pat McAfee Show,” punter Pat McAfee and his co-hosts, including former NFL players JJ Watt and AJ Hawk, discussed Lamar Jackson’s offseason trouble when the quarterback was a free agent. Jackson faced skepticism from many teams during the offseason. McAfee appeared speculative about the motives and concerns of teams regarding Jackson’s negotiation process. He said, “Everybody this offseason came out of their way to say we don’t want him [Lamar Jackson]. We’re not interested; we don’t want him.”

He further emphasized publicly declaring disinterest in a former MVP playing at an MVP level is disrespectful. They suggested that the teams might have been wary because Lamar did not have an agent, potentially fearing a shift in negotiation dynamics. Despite concerns about him representing himself in negotiations, the Ravens successfully secured a deal with him, which turned out to be one of the biggest deals of this offseason.

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Jackson signed a five-year contract extension worth $185 million in April with the help of his mother, Felicia Jones, who became his only agent to help crack the deal. McAfee also speculated on the dynamics of negotiating without an agent and its possible impact on the traditional negotiation process in the NFL.

Despite that, McAfee praised Jackson, saying, “Lamar has a special talent to get deals done. He is a businessman. I think we’ve seen that; he has displayed that. Congrats to him getting a deal done alongside of his mom. That’s an unprecedented deal made in an unprecedented way.“

Lamar Jackson’s deal explained!

Lamar Jackson, part of the league since 2018, made headlines on April 27 by signing a historic five-year deal worth $260 million, with $185 million guaranteed. He and his mother took charge of negotiating his contract and handling the paperwork without the involvement of a certified agent.

Despite this unconventional approach, the deal seemed well-negotiated, meeting Jackson and his team’s needs. His mother, who acted as his agent, earned $7.8 million after saving 3% agent fees.

For Jackson, his mother became a superhero in his contract and has constantly supported him. After the historic deal, Jackson appreciated his mom, saying, “I feel like she was managing me really well.“

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