There’s a reason sports agents exist. They are relied on to use their expertise in order to help their clients get the best possible contract. They are invaluable in the grand scheme of things.
This doesn’t mean that every professional sports player finds it worthwhile to give these agents a nice chunk of their contracts.
Unfortunately for those who decide to go against the grain and represent themselves, it hasn’t necessarily worked out too well.
Just ask Denver Broncos offensive tackle Russell Okung, who signed a free-agent contract with the team that guaranteed absolutely nothing in terms of cash. Okung was representing himself at the time of the contract.
Fresh off being selected in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft, former North Carolina State quarterback Jacoby Brissett has decided to take the road less traveled:
Interesting, Pats rookie QB Jacoby Brissett has chosen not to hire an agent. Rookie deals are easier to negotiate w/ the wage scale, though.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) May 5, 2016
This makes a bit more sense than Okung, a veteran free agent, representing himself.
Under the terms of the current collective bargaining agreement, there is a rookie wage scale in effect around the NFL. This somewhat lowers the need to actually hire an agent to negotiate a contract.
Even then, there are other aspects of a rookie contract that players might not fully understand when negotiating said deal. Among those, the signing bonus a rookie might receive on his first deal.
Brissett might think he has a working knowledge of the negotiating process, but he’s now going to go up against a sly Patriots front office in talks. That’s not necessarily a positive for someone just months removed from college.
Brissett was a third-round pick of the Patriots last week and will likely serve as the team’s third-string quarterback.