Raven Country

Lamar Jackson vs. Baltimore Ravens: PR Stunt, Conflict or Clown Show?

Following a strange series of events involving Baltimore Ravens franchise tagged quarterback Lamar Jackson and a non-NFLPA certified agent, things got even more weird.

David Harrison

In this story:

By now, you most likely have heard about Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson reportedly having a non-NFLPA-certified agent reaching out to NFL teams on his behalf. 

The reports of this happening prompted the NFL to send out a league-wide memo pertaining to the appropriate ways to deal with the Ravens' franchise-tagged star and a denial from Jackson himself. 

It was a weird turn in what has been arguably one of the strangest contract stories involving a former NFL MVP quarterback. 

But things got even weirder after the memo went out. 

Jackson publicly refuted the reports that a man named Ken Francis was trying to negotiate inappropriately on his behalf by sending out the following tweet: 

The video, which is aimed at drumming up interest in a new mobile home gym, features Jackson walking the product onto a practice field, working out, and walking off.  

Jackson even shouts out his business partner in the accompanying tweet, a person named ... Ken.

"This to me...seems like one of the biggest publicity stunts of all time," Locked On Ravens host Kevin Oestreicher said of the video, which dropped less than half an hour after the reports of the memo were published. 

"Look, I give Lamar a lot of credit. He did a good thing by putting out this video when the attention was on it. For his product, he did the right thing...having everybody talking about him, everybody talking about Ken Francis...and now his product is getting a ton of attention."

As promotional efforts go, it was very effective, with the video reaching nearly six million views in less than 24 hours.

Pretty successful for a product named The Entire Gym that really has no organic discovery value built into the title. 

But was it really a publicity stunt?

"I mean, you gotta say so, because we're talking about it," said former Baltimore receiver Qadry Ismail who joined Oestricher for the discussion. 

"We're not alone. There are other shows that are going to be having their producers sitting there and trying to figure out what this Entire Gym looks like...you did it when it came to capturing the attention."

Clearly, Jackson is in business dealings with a person named Ken, but according to the Baltimore quarterback he's not involved in any contract negotiations. 

Despite there being enough evidence to support Francis being a player in trying to establish those communications with teams to the point the league felt it necessary to address it. 

What we do know is the Jackson saga continues, and there's a new mobile gym solution coming out this Summer thanks to the former MVP and his business partner - not agent - Ken.

Find David Harrison on Twitter @DHarrison82

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