T-Owe: Owens Must Pay Eagles $800K

Jan 29, 2008 — -- An arbitrator has ruled for the Philadelphia Eagles in their case against Terrell Owens, meaning the Cowboys wide receiver owes his former team nearly $800,000 in signing bonus money, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

According to the report, league sources said arbitrator Shyam Das ruled last week in favor of the Eagles in the grievance, which was brought on Owens' behalf by the NFL players' union. The union was contesting the team's attempt to recover $1.725 million of the $2.3 million signing bonus the team paid Owens when he signed a seven-year, $49 million contract in 2004.

In 2005, Owens was suspended seven games into the season for "behavior that was disruptive to the team." He was suspended four games without pay, then then told not to return for the remaining five games of the season.

The four-game suspension cost Owens $764,704. And when Owens and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, did not reply to a letter requesting Owens return his signing bonus, the team garnished his last five paychecks, totalling $955,880, the Inquirer reported.

With the arbitration ruling, Owens owes the team another $769,120 to complete the $1.725 million signing-bonus repayment, according to the report. That money will be credited to the Eagles' salary cap for 2008.

Rosenhaus said Monday night that he was unaware of the ruling and declined comment, the Inquirer reported.

All totaled, Owens' conduct in 2005 cost him $2.49 million, according to the report.