Creative Artists Agency (CAA)
Main agent(s): Tom Condon, Ben Dogra, Jimmy Sexton
Many consider CAA to not only be the best NFL sports agency, but the best agency regardless of sport. Similar to how many NCAA conferences are joining together to form super-conferences, CAA is essentially a “super-agency.” Tom Condon may in fact be considered the uncontested favorite for top NFL Agent in the business. Condon is best known for his representation of the Manning Brothers, Drew Brees, and Matthew Stafford just to name a few. His contract agreements for Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Tony Romo in the last two years alone combined to produce an astonishing, guaranteed $173.5 million. Ben Dogra is no slouch either representing 49 first-round draft picks, more than any other agent (courtesy of the Sports Business Journal). To add on to the agency accolades, CAA was responsible for 8 of the last 11 NFL MVP awards and 6 of the last 9 overall # 1 draft picks. This agency is certainly a force to be reckoned with now, and in the future in the world of NFL agencies.
Notable current/past clients:
- Peyton Manning
- Eli Manning
- Drew Brees
- Tony Romo
- Matthew Stafford
- Matt Ryan
- Robert Griffin III
- Adrian Peterson
- Tony Gonzlez
- Nnamdi Asomugha
- Luke Joeckel (#2 overall pick in 2013 draft)
Rosenhaus Sports Representation
Main agent(s): Drew Rosenhaus, Jason Rosenhaus
Drew Rosenhaus established his agency at the mere age of 22 years old while still attending Duke Law School. He is arguably one of the most recognizable agents in the business, and surely does not shy away from the public eye. Author of two books, Drew is also the only sports agent to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. His recent deal for Patriots Tight End Rob Gronkowski was the largest extension (in terms of total value) ever given to a TE at $54 million. The Rosenhaus brothers have not represented a first round pick since the 2011 NFL draft (CB Jimmy Smith), but many still consider this agency a perennial powerhouse. Drew Rosenhaus’s tenacity and negotiation skills have been compared by many to the great Marvin Demoff.
Notable current/past clients:
- LeSean McCoy
- DeSean Jackson
- Dez Bryant
- Plaxico Burress
- Rob Gronkowski
- Chad Johnson (“Ochocinco”)
- Terrell Owens
- Frank Gore
- Santana Moss
- Edgerrin James
Relativity Sports
Main agent(s): Happy Walters (CEO), Eugene Parker, Roosevelt Barnes
Relativity Sports was created from the combination of different entities, and most notably, Eugene Parker’s Maximum Sports Management. Parker’s client list is fairly impressive representing some of the top receivers in the game. Parker’s deal for client, Larry Fitzgerald, gave Fitzgerald the second highest contract for a wide receive in terms of Total Value ($113 million), average per year ($16,142,857), and guaranteed money ($27 million). Furthermore, it was Parker who negotiated Ndamukong Suh’s $40 million in guarantees just a few years ago. Parker is also one of only four sports agents to ever introduce a player into the National Football Hall of Fame when he introduced client Deion Sanders. Relativity Sports also represents Chance Warmack, the #10 overall pick from the 2013 draft. Jason Fitzgerald, founder of overthecap.com, estimates that Warmack will receive a total contract value just north of $12 million with a signing bonus of $7.23 million.
Notable current/past clients:
- Larry Fitzgerald
- Greg Jennings
- Michael Crabtree
- Devin Hester
- Steven Jackson
- Ndamukong Suh
- Chance Warmack (#10 overall pick in 2013 draft)
- Curtis Martin
- Emmit Smith
- Deion Sanders
Lagardère Unlimited
Main agent(s): Joel Segal
Many people think “Michael Vick” when Segal’s name is mentioned as he was Vick’s agent of record during his dogfighting scandal a few years back. Vick has certainly put those days behind him, and Segal has guided him every step of the way. Segal negotiated both of Michael Vick’s mega-contracts making him the first NFL player with two contracts potentially surpassing the $100 million accolade. Business Insider did a fantastic piece on Joel Segal and Lagardère Unlimited two years ago after the new CBA was passed and free agency was in a frenzy. According to the piece, Segal was able to complete contracts for 20 clients in a total of eight days with a total compensation of $150 million. That is simply an amazing feat. Segal also negotiated running back Chris Johnson’s extension back in 2011 containing $30 million in guaranteed money (second only to Adrian Peterson for RBs). This year’s NFL draft was quite a successful one for Segal and his enterprise as they represented 2 of the top-10 overall picks in Eric Fisher (#1 overall) and Tavon Austin (#8 overall). The two contracts combined are expected to produce roughly $35 million in total value according to Over The Cap.
Notable current/past clients:
- Michael Vick
- Reggie Bush
- Chris Johnson
- Percy Harvin
- Santonio Holmes
- Marques Colston
- DeAngelo Hall
- Randy Moss
- Eric Fisher (#1 overall pick in 2013 draft)
- Tavon Austin (#8 overall pick in 2013 draft)
Athletes First
Main agent(s): David Dunn
David Dunn is no stranger to the business, and has asserted his dominance in the industry for the past three decades. Some may remember Dunn for being the former partner of long-time agent Leigh Steinberg. After their separation, and eventual lawsuit (in which Dunn was mandated to pay a hefty sum of money), many forecasted that Dunn would slowly depart from the business. This couldn’t be further from the truth, and Dunn continues to prove he is still one of the best out there. He recently inked his top-QB client, Aaron Rodgers, to the largest contract for a quarterback in terms of average salary ($22 million per year) and three-year compensation ($62.5 million). Furthermore, Dunn secured Rodgers a whopping $54 million in guaranteed money. In the 2013 draft, Athletes First had a total of 18 players taken with 3 of them going in the first round. Their client, Kenny Vaccaro, was the first player to sign his contract of all the first round draft selections.
Notable current/past clients:
- Aaron Rodgers
- Reggie Wayne
- Wes Welker
- Von Miller
- Clay Matthews
- Ed Reed
- Ray Lewis
- Drew Bledsoe
Bus Cook Sports
Main agent(s): James “Bus” Cook
James “Bus” Cook has been in the agency business for the past two decades, and his list of clients never seems to disappoint. He was Brett Favre’s long-time agent and friend and negotiated the first ever $1 million deal in NFL history for him. Furthermore, Favre earned nearly $100 million in total compensation from Green Bay alone. In 2001, Cook negotiated the largest contract for a non-QB when Randy Moss was signed for 8 years/$75 million. Sticking with the wide receiver theme, Cook is the agent of record for Calvin Johnson who just last year broke numerous milestones with his new contract. Cook secured “Megatron” $53.25 million in fully guaranteed money while the overall extension averaged over $16.2 million according to Joel Corry.
Notable current/past clients:
- Calvin Johnson
- Cam Newton
- Russell Wilson
- Mike Wallace
- Jay Cutler
- Morris Clairborne
- Randy Moss (switched to Joel Segal)
- Brett Favre
References:
OverTheCap.comSpotrac.com
NationalFootballPost.com
BusinessInsider.com
Individual agency’s websites
Sports Business Journal
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