The Oakland Raiders rid themselves of the bust that was JaMarcus Russell back in 2009, but that doesn’t mean they have stopped paying their former starting quarterback. According to SFGate.com, Russell recently settled a lawsuit with the team that will pay him another $3 million.
The Raiders filed a grievance against Russell when they released him halfway through the 2009 season, seeking repayment of $9.55 million in salary advancements. The former LSU star signed a six-year, $68 million contract in 2007 and had been paid $36.4 million at the time of his release. He filed a grievance of his own against the Raiders in 2009, seeking an additional $9 million.
The Raiders claimed that Russell’s contract had changed at one point during his time with the team, so they believed they could recoup some of his salary. The two sides were going to go to court but instead reached a settlement, with Oakland agreeing to pay Russell $3 million.
Even with all the talk about JaMarcus being the biggest bust in NFL history, I still don’t think people appreciate just how horribly the deal worked out for the Raiders. They have now paid nearly $40 million to a player who threw 18 touchdowns and 23 interceptions in 31 careers games. Russell compiled a passer rating of 65.2 in three seasons and lost 22 fumbles.
As SFGate.com pointed out, Oakland is used to paying and receiving little in return; the team will be shelling out $49.6 million this season to players no longer on the roster.
Russell began his NFL comeback at the beginning of the year when he reportedly weighed 308 pounds, but we recently showed you this picture of a 265-pound JaMarcus. He has been working with former NFL quarterback Jeff Garcia in hopes of making it back into the NFL.
