Andre Johnson: Pennywise, pound foolish

Texans All Pro receiver Andre Johnson made some news today by not showing up for Houston's Organized Team Activities (OTAs) because he's unhappy with his current contract.

It's not unusual to see a player express dissatisfaction with his contract. Happens all the time. But it is odd to see a player bellyache about money when there are five years remaining on a deal he signed in 2007.

That's the situation Johnson finds himself in, due largely to the fact that he negotiated his own deal with the assistance of his uncle, Andre Melton. Johnson may have saved a decent chunk of change on an agent's fee, but the eight-year, $60 million deal, including a $15 million signing bonus, has turned out to be far below the market value for the game's elite receivers. Consider: Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald's last contract was a four-year, $40 million deal — or $2.5 million a year higher than Johnson's deal.

It's not unprecedented for players to act as their own agents — Tedy Bruschi did it with the Patriots — but it's also not a very good idea. Bruschi could have gotten far more money by using an agent, and Johnson is now finding out the hard way that he could have gotten more, too.

If Johnson is smart, he'll go out and get an agent to negotiate a new deal, since the Texans don't seem to be slamming the door shut on a contract revision.

Say what you will about the role of agents in sports. But if you're an athlete with a limited career span, then it's foolish not to have an agent take care of the finances.