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Rosenhaus Briggs-ing The Gap

Bears linebacker Lance Briggs may soon be a Washington Redskin.

Remember when everyone was going nuts about the Lance Briggs situation? Briggs was mad that the Bears Franchise Tagged him, he loathed the Bears organization, and wanted out of the city [The End Of The Franchise?]. But the major thing that I pointed out here at SportsAgentBlog.com was something that most major news sources were overlooking. They were too busy bashing Briggs, bashing the Bears, or somewhere stuck between both extremes. As I declared:

Maybe his agent should inform him that there is a difference between being designated an exclusive franchise player and a non-exclusive franchise player. See, Briggs is wrong in thinking that he has no right to negotiate with other teams. As a non-exclusive franchise player, Briggs can bump up his pay check by signing with another team and playing with the new franchise for that amount of money (and the new franchise giving up 2 first-round picks to the Bears), or being re-signed by the Bears for the new salary that was offered by the new team. In all honesty, the chance that a team is going to give up 2 first-round draft picks is slim, but at least there is some course of action for Briggs.

It looks like his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, may finally be explaining the situation to Briggs with a trade to the Washington Redskins [Agent: Bears’ Briggs could go to Redskins in trade]. And who would ever imagine that Rosenhaus would threaten to sit his player out of games if he does not get what he wants? Rosenhaus is threatening to have his client sit out 10 games, play the final 6, and still earn his money for a season of play if Briggs remains a Franchised Bear instead of being traded away. It seems like both sides have come a long way since this story was last reported and that Rosenhaus is in control of his client’s future.

One more reason why it is important to 1. have an agent to know the terms of the business and act in your best interest and 2. do the talking. Briggs has allowed Rosenhaus to do whatever he can to remedy the Franchise Tag situation, but next time, he should keep his mouth closed and let his agent handle the microphone.

-Darren Heitner

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.

3 replies on “Rosenhaus Briggs-ing The Gap”

[…] • Wait … so what’s so wrong with Curt Schilling blogging again? [Fire Joe Morgan] • They might have some drug issues in Australian Rules Football. [Dave’s Football Blog] • Put your faith in Drew Rosenhaus. Really. [I Want To Be A Sports Agent] • If JoePa visited Louisiana … [Every Day Should Be Saturday] • Nationals blogs discuss the upcoming season. [DCist] […]

With CHicago being a super bowl contender, i am still flabbergasted that Briggs, as a team player, would go to a team that has had recent poor performances to get more money. I don’t see Washington in the Bowl hunt yet.

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