The Seattle Seahawks have filed a federal lawsuit alleging former second-round draft pick Malik McDowell has failed to repay nearly $800,000 of his signing bonus.
McDowell was Seattle’s top draft pick in 2017 but never played a single snap in the NFL after suffering serious injuries in an ATV accident shortly before the start of training camp. The Seahawks medical staff was unable to clear McDowell to return to the field, and he was released at the end of last season.
“According to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Michigan, McDowell was ruled to be in breach of his contract when he suffered the non-football injury and that he would need to forfeit his signing bonus totaling $1,599,238,” writes Matt Charboneau of the Detroit News. “The Seahawks withheld payment of $800,000 for the 2018 season, leading to the amount of $799,238 that was ruled McDowell must pay back.”
Per the report, McDowell did not dispute the arbitrator’s ruling in February or file an appeal in a timely manner. To date, he has yet to repay the signing bonus.
