Jets CB Darrelle Revis sues former agents over commission fee

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. --New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis is suing his former agents for allegedly raising their commission fee on an endorsement deal without his consent.

The lawsuit was filed last Tuesday in Westchester County (New York) Supreme Court, accusing agents Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod of fraud, conversion, breach of fiduciary duty and civil theft.

In the suit, Revis claims they hid a clause in an energy drink endorsement agreement that would raise their fee from 10 percent to 50 percent.

The seven-time Pro Bowl selection says he was focused on preparing for the Super Bowl in January 2015 -- as a member of the New England Patriots -- when Schwartz asked him to sign off on an addendum to the original agreement.

The lawsuit, first reported by the Courthouse News, says Schwartz never explained the document or gave him a copy to read. The lawsuit also accuses Schwartz and Feinsod of secretly using money from Revis' endorsement checks to pay another attorney.

Revis fired the agents last May. At the time, neither side disclosed the reason why. Schwartz and Feinsod represented him since his rookie year, 2007, when he was a first-round pick out of Pitt.

New York-based attorney Mario Aieta, who represents Schwartz and Feinsod, told ESPN.com that Revis' lawsuit is an attempt to avoid paying agent fees on the free-agent contract he signed with the Jets in March 2015. "Think about the timing of all this," Aieta said Monday night. "Nobody objected to (the endorsement deal) until recent events. There was no issue until Mr. Revis decided to terminate his relationship with my clients."

Schwartz and Feinsod have yet to receive their fees on Revis' 2016 salary ($17 million), Aieta said. Revis is due to make $15 million in 2017 (including a $6 million guarantee), meaning the agents are entitled to fees on $23 million in salary even if he's released by the Jets.

At the standard two percent commission, that will amount to $460,000 in unpaid fees. The amount figured to be a lot larger at the time of the termination, but Revis' decline as a player has clouded his future with the team.

Commenting on the endorsement dispute, Aieta said he initiated an arbitration pursuant to NFLPA regulations. The funds in dispute, he said, are currently in his firm's escrow account.

Revis has played for the Jets, Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, amassing career earnings of $118 million, according to Spotrac. He's currently in the second year of a five-year, $70 million contract that includes $39 million in fully guaranteed money.

Schwartz didn't respond to a text seeking comment.