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Lamar Jackson is one of three former first-round quarterbacks set to cash in with a lucrative new contract this offseason. The 2019 NFL MVP has been in talks with the Ravens for months about an extension, telling reporters he wants to stay in Baltimore "forever." If and when Jackson strikes a long-term deal, however, he'll do so without a standard agent. As Pat McAfee and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport noted Thursday, the Ravens star is representing himself -- along with help from his mother -- in ongoing negotiations.

"Agents, a lot of times, sort of act as a buffer for teams to players," Rapoport told McAfee. "It is a little different with Lamar Jackson because it's his mom sort of acting as his business partner, business manager."

Jackson's mother, Felicia Jones, previously helped represent the QB when Jackson entered the NFL in 2018, finalizing the former first-rounder's rookie contract with the Ravens. Jackson has never employed an official agent since then, instead referring to Jones as his "manager." Both then and now, Rapoport told McAfee, the agent community has "raised eyebrows" over Jackson's handling of contract matters, but Jones' guidance did not get in the way of Jackson signing a four-year, $9.5 million deal as a rookie.

This time around, of course, the stakes are higher. Ever since the Cowboys' Dak Prescott inked a $160 million extension in March, all eyes have been on Jackson, as well as the Bills' Josh Allen and now the Browns' Baker Mayfield, to carry the QB market forward. Jackson is reportedly eyeing an extension that'll pay him about $40 million per year, which is what Prescott got in Dallas. All signs point to him getting at least that, with something like $42 million to $43 million per year likely in play as he seeks to become one of the NFL's highest-paid signal-callers behind former Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes.

Mahomes is currently the highest-paid QB at $45M per year, with Prescott trailing at $40M.