Lamar Jackson is one of the few NFL superstars who does not have an agent to represent him. That means that, when it comes to contract negotiations, the job is up to Jackson and whoever is in his corner to provide assistance. That’s not normal for high-end NFL players, but it’s what the two-time MVP prefers.

While the Baltimore Ravens quarterback is one of the highest-paid players in the NFL, ranking 12th among signal-callers with an annual average salary of $52 million, according to Spotrac, his next contract will surely land him back at the top of the spectrum, possibly resetting the market altogether.

While Jackson’s contract situation remains a long-term storyline, the more immediate issue has been the ankle injury that has kept him out of Baltimore’s past three games. Mike Florio argues that an agent could do some damage control to prevent harm to Jackson’s reputation while he’s out, quashing negative rumors before they start.

Mike Florio Argues Lamar Jackson Should Hire An Agent

So, why should Jackson suddenly hire an agent, nine years into his NFL career? Aside from having just one more year left on his contract and naturally needing to negotiate a new one in the near future, Florio argued on “PFT Live” that Jackson’s agent would be able to provide insiders with the accurate intel that wouldn’t leave so many unanswered questions surrounding his status from week to week.

“When you don’t have an agent who can be talking to the ‘insiders’ and providing information and clarity on the exact duration of the expected absence, you get an imperfect picture,” Florio said. “You may get fans thinking the guy’s going to be back sooner than he really is. And you don’t have someone, Marlon Humphrey touched on this last week, when he was saying, ‘Why is it that Lamar Jackson gets so heavily slandered by the media?’ and he mused about the fact that maybe it goes back to not having an agent. And he’s right.”

Florio then went on to add in detail just why he feels like Jackson would be wise to finally hire an agent, nine years into his career.

An agent would be to help defend him when the Ravens’ franchise QB is being slandered by the media, or to shut down rumors that he obviously knows are untrue.

“You need an agent to defend you in these moments when people are questioning your toughness, your commitment, whether or not you should be out there playing,” Florio added. “You need an agent who can call up the people who are saying and writing these things and set them straight.”

Would an agent be able to help Jackson at this stage of his career? Florio surely seems to think so, and in a way, his teammate Humphrey indirectly agrees.

Whether Jackson someday changes his mind remains to be seen. With Baltimore already discussing another extension and his current deal running through 2027, the question of whether he needs professional representation could become even more relevant as negotiations continue.

Jackson is expected to return this week against the Buffalo Bills after practicing fully on Wednesday and Thursday. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Ravens expect Jackson to play and that the quarterback is believed to be as close to 100% as he has been since suffering the ankle injury.

When healthy, Jackson has been highly efficient this season. In four games, he has completed 68 of 96 passes for 967 yards, six touchdowns, and one interception, producing a 119.6 passer rating. He has also rushed for 144 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, averaging 7.6 yards per attempt.

Jackson currently has aPFN QB Impact Grade of 86.9, which ranks second in the league, and in his return from injury, he’ll go up against Josh Allen, who ranks seventh with an 83.8 grade.