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Contract Negotiation NFL Players NFL Teams

Shonn Greene Gets A 4 Year Deal

shonn greene

Yesterday, Shonn Greene signed a 4-year deal with the New York Jets.  I am not a Jets fan and never followed the former Iowa RB closely, so why am I even bringing this up?  It’s because I also happened to come across an excellent post yesterday, concerning the structuring of NFL player contracts for those selected in Day 2 of the draft (rounds 3-7).  Shonn fits that category, as he was selected in the 3rd round of the 2009 NFL Draft, even though many expected the Doak Award Award winner to be off the boards a day earlier.

Anyway, Greene’s 4-year deal is unsurprising.  According to J.I. Halsell, who wrote the post linked to above, the Jets are one of twenty-five NFL teams who give their Day 2 draftees 4-year contracts.  The other seven teams, offer their Day 2 draft picks 3-year contracts.  It’s good to know which teams offer which types of contracts if you plan on representing any players who have a chance of going rounds 3-7.  Halsell notes the following teams as being the 3-year offerors: Arizona, Baltimore, Detroit, Kansas City, New Orleans, Pittsburgh, and Saint Louis.

Halsell goes on to talk about salary escalators in the last year of rookie contracts, and how they differ depending on if it is a 3-year or 4-year contract.  This is an area where the agent and team can negotiate terms.  Keep these things in mind as you start to see more and more Day 2 players signed to their respective teams.

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.