Ex-Jets WR Keyshawn Johnson sues NFL agent over $1,000,000 in unpaid deals

Keyshawn Johnson has had a healthy post-playing career as an analyst on ESPN and FS1 while occasionally mentoring prospects. However, he has been embroiled in some controversy lately.

On Wednesday, TMZ reported that the former New York Jets wide receiver had sued sports agent Chris Ellison during the previous week over approximately $1 million in finder's fees. The lawsuit states:

"In return for this player identification, recruitment, and eventual entry into the highest level of the game of football, Defendant promised to pay Plaintiff a specific percentage of the player’s signed contract with the NFL. Each year, Defendant promised to pay Plaintiff one-third of the (3%) three percent commission Defendant made on each of the players’ salary."

However, the one-time Super Bowl champion and three-time Pro Bowler now claims to have been stiffed on four players - cornerbacks Deommodore Lenoir, Jaylon Johnson, and Mike Hughes; and Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs:

"For several months, Defendant claimed he had not received any payments for the NFL’s recruitment of the players he represents. It is our reasonable belief that this is false."

Overall, Keyshawn Johnson is demanding $962,335 from Ellison, who denied the allegations when approached for comment.

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Keyshawn Johnson discusses what he would do if he were in college football today

Today's collegiate athletics scene is dominated by name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals, allowing athletes to make money from endorsements while they are still enrolled and active.

It is an experience that Keyshawn Johnson never had during his stint at USC, but he had a hypothesis on what would happen if he played in that era, on Julian Edelman's Games with Names podcast:

"Oh, I'm staying at USC. The reason is because we can pay."

After estimating that he would earn $10 million at USC, he explained why he would stay there even if another powerhouse like Alabama approached him.

"I'm a loyal person. I'm not a bounce-around guy. I'm not going to leave because someone is offering me $4 million versus two in-a-half. I'm not going to jump around and run. Leaving USC to go where? To Alabama? I'm not going to [expletive] Alabama."

In that same episode, he recalled a spat between Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick from his playing days:

“Before the half, (wide receiver) Jimmy Smith scored, I believe, so I was supposed to go in the game and be the safety. Parcells and Belichick got into it, and it was the craziest [expletive] that I’ve ever seen on the sideline between two coaches, because Belichick didn’t want to put me in and Parcells wanted to put me in.”

Keyshawn Johnson also discussed, among other things, Belichick's bizarre resignation as Jets head coach. The full episode can be seen below: