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How Football Agents Get Their Clients More Money

ESPN NFL Business Analyst, Andrew Brandt, knows himself some football.  Not only was he formerly Vice President of Player Finance and General Counsel of the Green Bay Packers for roughly a decade, he also was a well known football agent at one point in his life.  Thus, when he opines about football agency related matters, it is probably worthwhile to pay attention.

Recently, Brandt provided his thoughts on the “Agent Playbook” – the strategies agents use to try to get their clients more money.  Here is the script:

1. Express feelings of disappointment about the current contract.

2. Absent a team response, suggest that a trade may be beneficial for both sides.

3. Absent a team response, seek permission to survey teams for a possible trade (which some agents do anyway without permission).

4. Absent a team response, express the possibility and/or probability that the player may skip offseason workouts, minicamps, OTAs and perhaps even training camp, which, of course, would breach his contract.

And then, as Brandt explains, the team has three options:

(1) do nothing; (2) rip up the existing contract and replace it with a new one to the player’s liking; or (3) something in between

So what about a player like Drew Brees?  It seems as though his agent has only gotten past step one of the script and that thus far, the Saints are doing nothing.  Might the team change its stance once Brees’ agent goes to step two?

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.

One reply on “How Football Agents Get Their Clients More Money”

I think we all know that Brees is set in NO. Albeit with the bounty claims and such it makes it seem that the NFL’s sweetheart would leave but he has to much tied up in the program there in NO. He is the heart and soul of that city and he knows it, without Brees there are no Saints. Both side are waiting for the other to react. The Saint can’t and won’t lose Brees. IMO atleast.

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