Seahawks Suing Former Player Malik McDowell For Allegedly Failing to Pay Back His Signing Bonus
By Brian Cass
Former Seattle Seahawks second-round pick Malik McDowell never played a snap for the team, and now they want their money back.
After suffering an ATV accident that gave McDowell a head injury, he missed his entire first two seasons. The Seahawks doctors never gave him the green light to get back on the field. So following the 2018 season, Seattle cut ties with McDowell.
Seahawks sue Malik McDowell, claim he’s failed to repay signing bonus:https://t.co/HyVW4bLfE9
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 30, 2019
According to reports, the Seahawks filed suit in federal court on Wednesday, claiming that their former player never repaid the team his $799,238 signing bonus.
The lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Michigan states that McDowell was "ruled to be in breach of his contract" when he suffered his ATV accident, leading to him needing to forfeit his signing bonus that totaled $1,599,238.
Athletes, protect your bodies. Be smart. Your body is your source of income. In the NFL, I rarely played basketball, I didn't ski; be smart.
— Dr. Derwin L. Gray (@DerwinLGray) May 30, 2019
Seahawks sue Malik McDowell for not repaying signing bonushttps://t.co/s0NeSbMwAp
The arbitrator ruling occurred on February 27, 2019, and McDowell allegedly has yet to pay the Seahawks back. He didn't dispute the ruling, nor did he appeal it within the 10-day window.
It's truly unfortunate that McDowell never had the opportunity to play in the NFL due to an off-the-field accident. But, that's no excuse for him not to repay the team that spent their 2017 second-round selection on him, if that's actually the case.