Florida legislator says Bears DT Gervon Dexter’s NIL deal violated law

Tyler Langford  |  Sep 23, 2024

The NIL contract that Chicago Bears rookie Gervon Dextersigned with a speculative investment capital company while playing at the University of Florida in 2022 violated a state NIL law in place at the time, the Florida state legislator who sponsored the bill told ESPN on Tuesday.

Dexter, a second-round draft pick, agreed to pay Big League Advance Fund (BLA) 15% of his pre-tax NFL earnings for the next 25 years in exchange for a one-time payment of $436,485 in 2022, according to a copy of a federal lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Gainesville, Florida, on Friday.

According to published reports, Dexter signed a four-year, $6.72 million contract with the Bears on June 16, meaning he would owe BLA about $1 million over the lifetime of that deal.