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Report: Seattle Seahawks suing Malik McDowell over $800K
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Former Michigan State defensive lineman Malik McDowell is being sued by the Seattle Seahawks because he has not yet paid back $800,000 he owes the franchise, according to a report.
MLive.com reported that McDowell has not repaid the nearly $800,000 in forfeited signing bonus money. The former Spartan star was ordered to repay the money by an arbiter back in February and McDowell did not contest the ruling.
Before ever playing a snap in the NFL, McDowell was injured in ATV accident that forced him to miss the 2017 and 2018 seasons. As the 35th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, McDowell was expected to have a quick impact for the Seahawks.
According to MLive.com’s report, McDowell violated Paragraph 3 of his contract with Seattle, which says he won’t “engage in any activity other than football which may involve a significant risk of personal injury.”
The Seahawks still paid McDowell $1.6 million but are seeking an amount that represents two seasons’ worth of allocated money. The organization withheld $800,000 following the accident.
McDowell was released by Seattle in April 2018.
McDowell opted to enter the NFL Draft following his junior season in 2016. In three years with the Spartans, he appeared in 36 games and totaled 90 tackles, including 24.5 for loss. He also tallied 7.5 sacks in his career.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB