A bombshell 61-page ruling by an independent arbitrator has surfaced, suggesting there was “little question” that NFL owners colluded to suppress player salaries—despite the official finding that no collusion took place.
The internal document, released by journalist and podcaster Pablo Torre on June 24, reveals stunning behind-the-scenes details about how the NFL’s Management Council, allegedly with the knowledge and blessing of Commissioner Roger Goodell, encouraged teams to pull back on player guarantees following Deshaun Watson’s unprecedented $230 million fully guaranteed deal with the Cleveland Browns in 2022.
Although the arbitrator ultimately ruled there wasn’t sufficient legal evidence to prove collusion under the league’s standards, the ruling itself paints a troubling picture.
“There is little question that the NFL Management Council, with the blessing of the Commissioner, encouraged the 32 NFL Clubs to reduce guarantees in veteran’s contracts at the March 2022 annual owners’ meeting,” the document states.
However, it continues, “The evidence did not establish a clear preponderance that the Clubs agreed to do that or participated in such a scheme… The expert evidence of aggregate and average changes in various measures of spending… is not sufficient for the NFLPA to meet its standard of proof.”
Still, to many, the document reads like a roadmap of backroom pressure tactics, and it’s igniting outrage in the sports world.
“It’s almost like the holy grail for the union,” a source told Torre. “Sixty-one pages of gory details about how the league really works, thanks to an independent judicial arbitrator.”
The case stems from a lawsuit filed by the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), which alleged that team owners conspired to freeze the quarterback market after the Watson deal, preventing similar fully guaranteed contracts from being issued to other high-profile players.
The arbitrator’s findings came after a closed-door hearing with testimony from some of the most powerful figures in football, including Goodell, NFLPA leaders, eight team owners, three star quarterbacks—Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray, and Russell Wilson—and several high-powered agents and executives.
As Torre notes, the ruling includes references to a confidential presentation delivered to all 32 owners in the wake of the Watson contract, which reportedly triggered the coordinated response.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio had been calling for the ruling to be made public, describing it as “the most significant ruling in American sports since 1994.”
“The league and the union are obviously hiding something,” Florio wrote on June 11. “Even though the NFL won, it was caught with its hand in the collusion cookie jar. The league was saved only by the fact that the arbitrator believed no cookies were consumed—despite the pervasive crumbs.”
Adding to the controversy, both the NFL and the NFLPA had declined to release the ruling, with many speculating that its contents could prove embarrassing to several high-ranking individuals on both sides.
Torre echoed that concern: “This investigation isn’t just about Roger Goodell and the NFL’s shadowy ‘Management Council.’ This document is also a map—a map to how systemic pressure was applied to manipulate contract guarantees across the league.”
Deshaun Watson, who remains under contract with the Browns through 2026, has not lived up to the expectations of his record deal, with his performance hampered by injuries and off-field controversies.
As the fallout from the leaked ruling continues, questions linger over whether the NFL can maintain credibility in the face of growing evidence of collusive behavior—whether legally proven or not.