Documents Show NFL Encouraged Teams To Reduce Contract Guarantees

An arbitration case revealed by Pablo Torre found the NFL management council encouraged teams to reduce the guarantees in contracts.

The document is part of a lawsuit from the NFL Players Association that alleges NFL teams worked together to reduce guarantees. Ultimately, the result was that there wasn’t enough evidence to say collusion took place.

The lawsuit, which came after Deshaun Watson’s record-breaking $230 million fully guaranteed contract, sought damages for quarterbacks Russell Wilson, Kyler Murray and Lamar Jackson.

Despite finding there wasn’t enough evidence to say collusion took place, there was enough evidence behind the NFL’s encouragement of collusion.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell gave his blessing to the plan.

“It’s the collusion in action,” Mike Florio said on Pablo Torre Finds Out while discussing Murray’s contract talks with the Arizona Cardinals in 2022. “It’s the ‘encouragement’ that was communicated to the teams, owners and other executives in the room.”

Arbitrator Christopher Droney issued the ruling in January 2025, but it had not been released until Torre found it.

While the demands of the NFLPA might not have been accepted, this document still reveals corruption in the league and is a win for players in the NFL.