Arbitrator Rejects NFL Collusion Case on Contracts

An independent arbitrator, Christopher Droney, found that the NFL Management Council, with Commissioner Roger Goodell’s approval, encouraged all 32 teams to reduce guaranteed money in veteran player contracts during a March 2022 owners meeting, following the Cleveland Browns' $230 million fully guaranteed deal for Deshaun Watson. The NFL Players Association alleged this amounted to collusion to suppress guaranteed contracts for stars like Russell Wilson, Lamar Jackson, and Kyler Murray. However, Droney dismissed the grievance, ruling in his 61-page decision that there was no proof teams collectively colluded or reached an agreement. Both the NFL and NFLPA kept the ruling secret until journalist Pablo Torre uncovered it. The case offers rare insight into league operations and ongoing labor tensions but leaves the current contract system unchanged. Media figures have described the decision as one of the most consequential in sports labor relations in decades.