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NFL, NFLPA had confidentiality agreement to keep collusion findings a secret
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- NFL, NFLPA had confidentiality agreement to keep collusion findings a secret
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The post NFL, NFLPA had confidentiality agreement to keep collusion findings a secret appeared first on ClutchPoints .
In recent weeks, some reports have revealed that the NFL and NFLPA had allegedly been involved in collusion. On Wednesday, it was found that both sides had agreed to keep the collision findings a secret.
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Reports indicate that the NFL and NFLPA had a confidentiality agreement in place to not inform players of an arbitration decision, according to Don Van Natta Jr. and Kalyn Kahler of ESPN. The arbitration decision in question was regarding league executives across the league to reduce guaranteed money in contract deals.
"The NFL and senior leaders of the NFL Players Association struck an unusual confidentiality agreement that hid the details of an arbitration decision from players, including a finding that league executives had urged team owners to reduce guaranteed player compensation, multiple sources told ESPN."
Christopher Droney, an arbitrator involved in the case, initially ruled there was no evidence of collusion between the NFL and NFLPA regarding contract talks between teams and quarterbacks. Natta and Kahler also report that any sign of collusion would be a violation of the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and NFLPA.
However, it appears colluding may have been involved, after Droney claimed that the NFLPA, along with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and general counsel Jeff Pash, pushed team owners to reduce guaranteed money in future deals.
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"On Jan. 14, arbitrator Christopher Droney ruled there wasn't sufficient evidence of collusion by owners in contract negotiations with quarterbacks after the record, fully guaranteed contract signed by quarterback Deshaun Watson in 2022. Any such collusion to keep salaries down would violate the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the union.
"But Droney concluded that the NFLPA showed "by a clear preponderance of the evidence" that commissioner Roger Goodell and the league's general counsel, Jeff Pash, had urged owners to restrict guaranteed money in player contracts."
As of now, the NFLPA executive director, Lloyd Howell Jr., is seeking an appeal of Droney's ruling. An anonymous source of the NFLPA shared a statement claiming that every decision is in the best interest of the players.
"The appeal is a reflection of our obligation to enforce the CBA and our commitment to protecting our players' interests," the source said. "We'll do what's best for players and we'll exhaust our options in doing so."
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More information will likely come to light in the coming months. This is currently an ongoing situation between the NFL, NFLPA , and teams across the league.
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