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Headline NFL Players Sports Law

Janoris Jenkins Settles Dispute With Former Agents But Attacks Them On Twitter

A grievance filed by a couple of Contract Advisors against New York Giants cornerback Janoris Jenkins has been settled for an undisclosed sum of money.

The grievance, filed by agents Malik Shareef and Rodney Thomas with the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) per the guidelines provided by the NFLPA’s Regulations Governing Contract Advisors, sought quantum meruit relief based on the amount of time that Shareef and Thomas expended on Jenkins’ behalf. The Contract Advisors were asking for compensation based on roughly 850 hours of work at $275 per hour.

Shareef and Thomas signed Jenkins after he originally signed with agent Ben Dogra coming out of the University of Florida, and represented him through the 2012 NFL Draft.

Jenkins terminated Shareef and Thomas in early 2016, before he signed a $62 million deal with the Giants. He was represented by agency Schwartz & Feinsod when the contract with the Giants was executed, but Shareef and Thomas wanted to be paid for the work they claimed to have accomplished on Jenkins’ behalf leading up to that deal. Thus, a grievance against Jenkins was filed.

While the parties have now settled the dispute, Jenkins is not done fighting through social media. He recently fired off a couple of tweets that have caused the agent community to raise its collective eyebrows.

Neither Shareef nor Thomas returned inquiries for comment on the matter as of the time that this article was initially published.

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.