JaMarcus Russell's six-year, $68 million contract with the Oakland Raiders often has been cited as the impetus behind NFL owners' insistence on a rookie salary scale in the 2011 collective bargaining agreement.
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Although the Raiders ended up paying Russell $36.4 million of the possible $68 million, the quarterback bust still was owed $3 million at the time of his release. League sources told the San Francisco Chronicle on Tuesday the Raiders will pay Russell close to that amount in a settlement over the disputed contract.
The Raiders originally filed a grievance seeking repayment of $9.55 million, leading Russell to counter with a $9 million grievance of his own. A settlement recently was reached just as the parties were set to take the matter to court.
Two years after selling his $2.4 million Bay Area mansion to avoid foreclosure, Russell certainly will welcome the second windfall of his aborted NFL career.
Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.
