Drew Rosenhaus gave DeSean Jackson a Louis Vuitton bag filled with $50,000 cash in a gas station parking lot. Sound sketchy?
That, along with other monetary incentives, is how the popular NFL agent retained his former client back in 2011 after a botched holdout with the Eagles infuriated the wide receiver, according to a Yahoo! Sports report. A federal court filing reveals a $516,000 dispute between Rosenhaus and Jackson.
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Jackson, who after being cut by the Eagles signed with the Redskins in April, claims his former agent told the receiver to hold out for a contract after failing to agree on a deal during the 2010 season.
"In the end, the holdout served only to embarrass Jackson, undermine his credibility and diminish his negotiating leverage with Eagles' management," Jackson's attorney William Quinn said in the filing obtained by Yahoo!.
The parking-lot payment also came with a $90,000 check and a $200,000 interest-free loan, according to the report.
Drew Rosenhaus (AP Photo)
Is that against the rules, you ask? Certainly: the NFLPA prohibits agents from dangling monetary incentives (or anything of value) in exchange for players' business. But Rosenhous claims he gave Jackson the money after the contract was signed, essentially categorizing the payment as a loan.
But the legality of Rosenhaus' scheme isn't the problem. NFLPA arbitrator Roger Kaplan recently ruled that Jackson must pay Rosenhaus back for those "loans," and Jackson believes he shouldn't have to.