Former NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson has filed a lawsuit against sports agent Chris Ellison, accusing him of failing to pay nearly $1 million allegedly owed from a long-standing agreement to refer players to Ellison for representation.
According to the suit, filed last week in Los Angeles and obtained by TMZ Sports, Johnson claims he and Ellison struck a deal approximately ten years ago. Under the alleged agreement, Johnson would direct NFL prospects toward Ellison in exchange for a share of the commissions Ellison earned from their contracts. Specifically, Johnson says he was entitled to one-third of Ellison’s standard three percent agent fee on the players’ salaries.
Johnson asserts that Ellison has not honored the deal in at least four instances, citing players he says he referred—San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson, Atlanta Falcons cornerback Mike Hughes, and Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs.
The lawsuit states Ellison owes him a total of $962,335 from commissions linked to those players. Johnson is now seeking full repayment through the court.
Ellison, however, has denied the allegations. Speaking to TMZ Sports, he refuted all claims made by Johnson in the suit and did not elaborate further on his defense.
Johnson, who played in the NFL from 1996 to 2006 and won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has remained active in football through media work and mentorship, guiding both high school and college athletes in their careers.