Usually, it’s the NFL player who fires the NFL agent, sometimes at the behest of another NFL agent who discreetly induces the change without leaving sufficient fingerprints to get himself punished by the NFLPA (i.e., taking out a full-page ad in SportsBusiness Journal stating, “I just stole [insert player name] from [insert agent name], and I liked it”).

This time around, the agent reportedly initiated the move.  According to Liz Mullen of the aforementioned SportsBusiness Journal (Emmitt says, “You actually only mentioned it one time, not four”), Gary Uberstine has parted ways with Rams running back Steven Jackson.

The move is unusual because Jackson is entering his contract year with the Rams.  Because Uberstine wasn’t Jackson’s agent when his rookie contract was signed, Uberstine will in the end earn zero dollars, zero cents in football contract fees from Jackson.  (Then again, Uberstine might have gotten a nice piece of the action for Jackson’s 2007 Nike commercial, which was one of the rare occasions last year when Jackson played football without getting injured.)

Uberstine wouldn’t disclose the reason for the split to Mullen, and there’s no word on who Jackson’s next agent will be.

“I assume there will be no shortage of interested agents,” Uberstine told Mullen. “He is a phenomenal ballplayer and should be the highest-paid running back in the league.  I don’t have any bad feelings.”

This isn’t the first time that Jackson has been involved in an eyebrow-raising situation when it comes to his agent.  Jackson’s first agent was Rocky Arceneaux, who also represented at the time Marshall Faulk, the incumbent starter when Jackson was picked by the Rams in round one of the 2004 draft.  The conflict of interest was palpable, but Arceneaux continued to represent both men.  He was criticized privately in league circles for the value of the initial contract that he negotiated for Jackson.

Jackson’s next contract should be worth considerably more.  Regardless of who the agent is.