HEADLINE

Seahawks sue former draft pick McDowell

Field Level Media

May 30, 2019 at 6:24 pm.

The Seattle Seahawks sued former second-round draft pick Malik McDowell, seeking to recoup nearly $800,000 in bonus money after the defensive tackle suffered a non-football injury and never played for the team.

McDowell, a Michigan State product, was the Seahawks’ second-round selection in the 2017 NFL Draft and received signing bonuses totaling nearly $2.4 million before suffering serious injuries in an ATV accident in July 2017.

The Seahawks placed him on the non-football injury list and finally waived him in March.

An arbitrator ruled that the Seahawks were entitled to be repaid all bonus money. But through an agreement with McDowell and the NFL Players Association, the Seahawks agreed to pursue repayment of only a portion of the money — $799,238, according to the lawsuit filed in a Michigan federal court and obtained by multiple news outlets.

McDowell did not dispute the arbitrator’s ruling in February, nor did he file an appeal within the required 10 days.