SATURDAY, 10:35am: The circumstances surrounding Dogra’s termination from CAA are still uncertain, but a future legal battle now seems inevitable. Liz Mullen of SportBusiness Journal (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com) reports that Dogra has hired lawyer Rusty Hardin to handle the brewing legal battle. Hardin told Mullen that the agent is still owed “millions” for his final two years under contract…
“They are basically trying to figure out what the cause is now, because they didn’t have any. They were afraid he was going to leave. They tried to pick the exit strategy that would allow them not to pay him.”
THURSDAY, 9:19pm: Creative Artists Agency has fired agent Ben Dogra for cause, a league source tells ESPN (via Twitter). Dogra is one of the NFL’s most prominent agents and represents the likes of Adrian Peterson, Richard Sherman and J.J. Watt. The reason for his dismissal is unknown at this time. Peterson, for his part, will stay on with CAA, as Ben Goessling of ESPN.com tweets.
Dogra released a statement regarding the termination (via ESPN’s Adam Schefter):
“I want to thank CAA for the great time we have had together. There are absolutely no hard feelings about my moving on, and I am excited to be writing a new chapter in my sports agency career. I am really looking forward to bigger and better things in the NFL agency business, and I will continue to always be devoted to the best interest of my clients.”
Dogra has a number of impressive accolades on his resume, including ranking number seven on Forbes list of the most powerful sports agents. As ESPN’s Darren Rovell (and the website’s news service) points out, any client who wishes to continue with Dogra will need to submit a filing with the Players Association. The player will be free to switch agencies following a five-day waiting period.
Zach Links contributed to this post.