A three-member appeals panel on Friday upheld the arbitrator’s ruling that there was not enough evidence of collusion by the teams when negotiating contracts. kyler murray, lamar jackson And Russell Wilson In 2022, according to a copy of the judgment obtained by multiple outlets.
While the panel found that the teams were “being invited to participate in collusion” by the NFL and called the effort “inappropriate”, it ruled that there was not enough evidence to prove that the teams had participated in collusion.
The panel upheld arbitrator Christopher Droney’s January 2025 decision.
The NFL Players Association had argued that the owners violated the collective bargaining agreement by colluding in contract negotiations with the quarterback after he signed a record, fully guaranteed contract. cleveland browns quarterback deshaun watson In 2022.
The case specifically raised questions about whether Watson’s $230 million deal influenced negotiations with Murray, Jackson and Wilson; None of the three signed a fully guaranteed deal.
In July, ESPN reported The then-senior leaders of the NFL and NFLPA reached a confidentiality agreement to keep the arbitration decision away from the players.
ProFootballTalk first reported on the panel’s decision.
Information from ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. and Kalin Kahler was used in this report.
