NFL Agent Says 'No NFL Player Moves the Needle Like' Lionel Messi

There isn't an NFL equivalent to Inter Miami star Lionel Messi in the eyes of one agent in the league.

"No NFL player moves the needle like Messi," the agent said to The Athletic's Ben Standig.

The response came to a question by Standig about whether any NFL player could command a contract like Messi received from Inter Miami and MLS. In addition to his standard monetary earnings, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner is reportedly collecting revenue from some of the league's broadcast and commercial partners.

One agent downplayed the likelihood of that happening anytime soon with an NFL player when fully guaranteed contracts aren't even the norm.

"Let's take that step first," they said. "Justin Herbert didn't do it. But I'm holding out hope that Joe Burrow will. Need top guys to do that for the trickle-down effect. Until we can cross that bridge, there's no way we're getting any sort of profit-sharing."

Another agent expressed how the NFL "wipes the floor with NFLPA" by and large. In addition, the biggest stars typically sign contract extensions rather than enter full free agency, so there aren't the same kind of bidding wars you see with other leagues.

At the end of the day, MLS needs Messi significantly more than the NFL needs any one player. The former is still growing and attempting to be viewed as a world-class league on par with its European and South American peers. The latter, by contrast, is doing just fine and doesn't need to disrupt the status quo in terms of player power.