NFL Memo Involving Lamar Jackson Takes Bizarre Turn As Ravens QB Responds

All 32 teams were informed in a memo from the NFL Management Council on Thursday that Ken Francis, an uncertified NFLPA agent, would allegedly be contacting clubs to discuss negotiating a deal for Lamar Jackson. The Ravens quarterback quickly replied to the news.

NFL Memo Involving Lamar Jackson Takes Bizarre Turn As Ravens QB Responds

The 2019 NFL MVP made it clear that an NFLPA agent is still not his legal representative. Francis, on the other hand, seems to be Jackson’s business partner for a home exercise product for which the quarterback is featured in the advertisement.

The mistaken belief was that Francis was seeking to represent Jackson in contract negotiations, but the quarterback clarified that this was not the case.

Francis even told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that “I don’t speak for Lamar.”

Here’s a look at the supposed commercial for Jackson’s joint project with Francis, called “The Entire Gym.”

The memo stated, “The NFLPA has notified us that a person by the name of Ken Francis, who is not an NFLPA licenced agent, may be contacting Clubs and trying to convince Club staff to enter into discussions with or about Lamar Jackson.

At first, it wasn’t apparent if Ken Francis knew Jackson or had any contact with him.

On Wednesday, there were allegations that a “unauthorised representative” had told teams that Jackson was open to leaving the Ravens for the proper sum of money. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the talks were done “in an effort to begin negotiations targeted at a potential offer sheet.”

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero summed up the bizarre situation perfectly with one tweet-

“So to recap: The NFL told teams today they are prohibited from negotiating with a Florida man named Ken Francis, whom Lamar Jackson says never tried to negotiate for him, but is his business partner on a forthcoming home fitness invention with a commercial starring Lamar,” Pelissero said.

The league warned that any deals struck with Francis would not be approved, and therefore wouldn’t be official.

“Clubs are reminded that, under Article 48 of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, an Offer Sheet, which may result in an NFL Player Contract, may only be negotiated with the player, if he is acting on his own behalf,” the memo continued. “Violation of this rule may result in disapproval of any Offer Sheet or resulting Player Contract entered into by Mr. Jackson and the new Club.”

The memo also made it clear that Jackson isn’t currently represented by an agent, so the only person that can negotiate any deals with other teams is him.

The non-exclusive franchise tag was applied to Jackson by the Ravens on March 7. Although a long-term agreement between the two parties has not yet been reached, Baltimore is still open to trading the quarterback. Various teams have reportedly expressed they are no longer interested in trading for Jackson, though, including the Falcons and Patriots.

Who is Ken Francis?

The details on Francis are a little sparse at the moment.

Francis attended Florida’s Daytona State University, according to his LinkedIn page.

He’s also Lamar Jackson’s business partner, it turns out. Whether it was a coincidence or not, Jackson tweeted a marketing clip for The Whole Gym, in which he was featured, one hour after the letter was published.

At this time, it is reasonable to presume that Ken Francis is referred to as “my business partner Ken.”

The Whole Gym, owned by Francis, claims to have created “a new workout solution that is tiny and portable.” The Whole Gym is simple to use and practical for storing anywhere thanks to its revolutionary design for comfort and sturdiness.

But when reached by ESPN, Francis said, “I don’t speak for Lamar.”

The layers to this onion will certainly continue to peel back, but for now, Lamar Jackson continues to represent himself, Ken Francis is his business partner and the NFL is suspicious of it all.

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