"The Raiders did a Jive contract" - JaMarcus Russell lashes out at franchise for asking him to pay back money from rookie deal

JaMarcus Russell was selected number one overall in the 2007 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. He struggled with his weight while playing in the NFL and reportedly showed a lack of commitment and conditioning. This led to many labeling him as the biggest draft busts ever.

Oakland cut Russell in 2010 shortly after showing up to minicamp, pushing 300 pounds. Though he tried to get back in shape and make a comeback, he was never signed again.

Russell has now appeared on The Pivot to discuss the contract issues he had with the Raiders after he was cut:

"I didn't know to hit my weight set at a certain weight, bro. So when I get my check 10,000 per pound but my sh*t might be set at 265, might be 276 to 277, you do the math. The head coach [wanted me to go with it]. I'm like, what you mean? Crazy, bro."

He continued:

"Like they were trying to find ways to get paper back, I thought. They said I owed them money. Why would I owe money on a contract? I signed a contract. That's another thing. The Oakland Raiders did a Jive contract. I never spoke upon this in my life, bro."

Russell went on to describe how the disagreement was finally settled. He mentioned his confusion surrounding the situation and the expected court process.

"Agent call, say, 'Hey, you got a contract taking less money.' What you mean? I had no representation now, like nobody was there with me. So when I sit down and discuss a contract, what is what, is saying it say, you know, less money but we got to see about that."

He continued:

"So phone calls started being made, we're gonna go to court. I fly to San Francisco and everything. The morning of court we get a phone call, 'Jamarcus, there's no need for you to show. What you want?' I want what you owe me. Let me get out of the way."

The Raiders and Russell settled their contract dispute out of court, but the quarterback never returned to the NFL

Russell claims to have written a letter that was sent to all 32 teams, including the Raiders, asking for a tryout and offering to play his first season for free. No team took him up on the offer and he faded out of the public eye. Russell’s appearance on The Pivot can be viewed on YouTube.

If you use any of the above quotes, please credit The Pivot and H/T Sportskeeda.