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NFL Holdout: Maurice Jones-Drew’s Agent Adisa Bakari Finds Himself In Tough Situation

Jan. 1, 2012; Jacksonville FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at EverBank Field. Jacksonville defeated Indianapolis 19-13. Mandatory Credit: Matt Stamey-US PRESSWIRE

36 days.  That is the amount of days that Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew has been holding out from participating in team practices and preseason games.  Based on a $30,000 fine for each day missed, Jones-Drew has racked up a bill of over $1 million.  While it is unlikely that the Jaguars ever attempt to collect the full amount owed to the team based on Jones-Drew’s absence, the pressure continues to mount on the running back who is still drafted in the first round of most fantasy leagues.

[Related: Public Discussion Of Maurice Jones-Drew Holdout Will Not Affect His Brand].

Meanwhile, Jones-Drew’s agent, Adisa Bakari is also in the hot seat.  Adam Stites of Big Cat Country thinks that Jones-Drew is “getting bad advice from a bad agent.”  However, I have to agree with D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, who wrote that Bakari “is a standup guy and works with the media when teams are making concerted efforts to stop agents from talking to the press.”

Interestingly, the running back that has temporarily taken Jones-Drew’s #1 spot on the Jaguars depth chart (at least for game 1 of the regular season) is Rashad Jennings, who was represented by Bakari until recently.  In fact, head coach Mike Mularkey has stated that even if Jones-Drew comes back to practice prior to the start of the season, Jennings will still be the #1 RB for game 1.  Jennings is now represented by Sunny Shah of 320 Sports, Inc.  He also co-hosts a radio show with Jacksonville, Florida-based attorney John M. Phillips called “Courts & Sports.”  While I am not privy to the circumstances that led Jennings to find new representation, I always wonder why two players at the same position on the same team would want to have the same agent.  It seems like an obvious conflict of interest, especially in the case that one of the players is embroiled in a holdout.  I get the feeling that all parties are fine with Jennings’ switch to Shah.

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.