In 2007, agent Alvin Keels negotiated for former Chiefs running back Larry Johnson a big-money contract carrying $19 million in guaranteed money.
The next year, Keels resigned.
Johnson thereafter didn’t pay the fees Keels would have received in 2009. So Keels filed a grievance against Johnson.
Keels confirmed that a hearing on the matter was conducted on Friday, and it’s believed that the issue presented has no precedent.
If a player fires an agent, the agent is entitled to his fees for the balance of the deal. If the agent resigns, should he still get paid?
Though negotiating a contract is a big portion of the agent’s job, agents often provide services after the ink has dried. In Johnson’s case, the resignation came at a time when the player was facing potential suspension for violation of the Personal Conduct Policy.
But a bright-line fired and get paid/quit and get stiffed rule probably makes little sense. The facts of each case should be considered; in some circumstances, an agent who gets fired shouldn’t be paid, and in some cases an agent who quits should still receive compensation.
The question, in our view, should turn on whether the player had just cause to end the relationship, or whether the agent had good cause to walk away.
