NFL collusion ruling: Arbitrator reportedly found NFL, Roger Goodell encouraged teams to reduce guarantees for veterans
The NFL — with commissioner Roger Goodell's blessing — reportedly encouraged all 32 teams to reduce contract guarantees for veteran players at the March 2022 owners meeting, according to Pablo Torre and Mike Florio.
That explosive claim was made by an arbitrator who oversaw a collusion grievance between the NFL and the NFL Players Association. The ruling, which was not released by the NFL or NFLPA, was unearthed by Torre, who spoke about the grievance during his podcast on Tuesday.
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In that ruling, the arbitrator, Christopher Droney, wrote the following:
'There is little question that the NFL Management Council, with the blessing of the Commissioner, encouraged the 32 NFL Clubs to reduce guarantees in veterans' contracts at the March 2022 annual owners' meeting.'
That suggests both the NFL and Goodell wanted teams to collude to reduce guaranteed money when handing out contracts to veteran players.
Despite that evidence, the NFL actually won the grievance. Droney ruled that, despite the NFL encouraging collusion, he could not prove by a "clear preponderance" that NFL teams acted on that advice.
The meeting in which the NFL Management Council reportedly encouraged teams to collude to reduce veteran guarantees occurred right around the time the Cleveland Browns signed quarterback Deshaun Watson to a fully guaranteed $230 million contract. Watson was acquired by the Browns after he did not play during the 2021 NFL season after both a trade request and being accused of sexual misconduct by over 20 women.
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The NFLPA believed the league encouraged teams to reduce veteran guarantees to "thwart market competition from running its course" and "to prevent them from following the precedent" set by the Watson contract, per the ruling. The NFLPA argued multiple players, including quarterbacks Russell Wilson, Lamar Jackson, and Kyler Murray, were affected by that alleged directive. All three of those players signed massive extensions after Watson, but none of them received fully guaranteed deals.
At the time, Jackson's situation raised eyebrows across the fans and media sphere. The Ravens gave Jackson a non-exclusive tag, which allowed him to negotiate with other teams on a new contract. If Jackson received another deal, the Ravens had the opportunity to match it and keep the star quarterback.
Despite Jackson's success — he was an MVP winner and two-time Pro Bowler at the time — no team signed Jackson to an offer sheet, even those desperately in need of help at quarterback. While it was assumed the Ravens would match any deal given to Jackson, the team was never put in that position.
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Without any other deal, Jackson lost the ability to leverage other contracts — potentially some that were fully guaranteed — in negotiations with the Ravens. The team eventually signed Jackson to a five-year, $260 million deal, $185 million of which was fully guaranteed. The deal made the Watson contract look like an outlier, which, after Tuesday's arbitration ruling leaked, may have been the desired result by the NFL.
Jackson testified at the arbitration hearing heard by Droney, per the ruling. Murray, his agent and Wilson's agent did not appear live at the hearings, but did submit testimonies.
Despite Droney's ruling, both the NFL and NFLPA reportedly fought to keep the findings secret, per Florio. The NFL has obvious reasons for desiring that outcome. It's less clear why the NFLPA would fight to keep the ruling a secret.
While the NFLPA ultimately lost the ruling, the revelation that the NFL — with Goodell's blessing — reportedly encouraged collusion is far more damaging, and paints the league in an extremely negative light.
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