Deshaun Watson made headlines on March 18, 2022, when he signed a staggering five-year, $230 million contract that was fully guaranteed. At that moment, hopes soared among NFL fans and analysts alike that this landmark deal would ignite a wave of similarly structured contracts across the league. Unfortunately, rather than ushering in a new era of player security, Watson’s contract proved to be largely an anomaly. In the wake of this, the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) grew increasingly suspicious, leading them to file a grievance later that year. They alleged that the league had “colluded to restrict or limit” fully guaranteed contracts, aiming to push back against the paradigm shift they felt Watson’s deal represented.
Fast forward to earlier this week, when Pablo Torre, on his podcast *Pablo Torre Finds Out*, unveiled the findings of an investigation into the grievance. An independent arbitrator, Christopher Droney, ruled against the NFLPA, finding that there was no outright collusion by the NFL. However, what Droney did uncover was concerning: he determined that the NFL indeed encouraged its 32 teams to “limit guarantees” in contracts.
“There is little question that the NFL Management Council, with the blessing of the commissioner, encouraged the 32 NFL clubs to reduce guarantees in veterans’ contracts at the March 2022 annual owners meeting,” Droney stated. This revelation left many, including Torre, scratching their heads. Michael Bidwell, the owner of the Arizona Cardinals, was reportedly quoted saying that “Cleveland really screwed things up” with Watson’s deal during a conversation with Dean Spanos, owner of the Los Angeles Chargers. According to Droney, there were numerous communications indicating a collective aversion to offering fully guaranteed contracts, yet the NFL emerged from the grievance without any consequences.
Enter J.C. Tretter, president of the NFLPA. Droney’s report indicated that Tretter was particularly frustrated by Russell Wilson, who had failed to obtain a fully guaranteed contract from the Denver Broncos after his trade from the Seattle Seahawks. Wilson’s inability to secure such a deal, despite the precedent set by Watson, was a missed opportunity that many felt could have continued the momentum.
In a candid discussion on Chris Long’s podcast *Green Light*, Torre shared that Tretter’s reaction to Wilson’s extension negatively impacted the NFLPA’s standing in the grievance. Torre noted, “You have the president of the union trashing one of his own… if you were a player right now, and you realize that your union president had done that, what would you think?”
As it became apparent that Tretter’s missteps might soon come to light, he allegedly sought to keep the findings of Droney’s report under wraps. Without Torre’s diligent investigation, these crucial findings might have remained hidden from the public and the vast majority of NFL players. Long, now well-informed about the situation, expressed his outrage at Tretter and the NFLPA. He said, “If I found out that a major bargaining chip in us getting what we want is being buried to protect one person, I’d say, ‘get this guy the f*ck out of here.’”
In many ways, Long captures the heart of the matter: the players are the backbone of the NFL, and their struggles for better contracts and guarantees reflect the broader challenges they face in a tumultuous league. Analysts frequently criticize the NFLPA for lacking cohesion and decisiveness. The decision to bury a report that could have represented a significant step toward improving conditions for 99% of the membership only emphasizes those critiques. For the first time, players had solid evidence to bolster their negotiating power, yet their supposed leaders let that opportunity slip through their fingers.
It’s undeniably frustrating for players who give their all on the field, only to feel that their union is not championing their interests as it should. If you’re curious to dive deeper into Torre’s full analysis of what he calls “Collusion-Gate,”. The implications of this story stretch far beyond immediate contracts; they resonate with every player who dreams of security and stability in a league that often feels stacked against them.
Image Source: Deshaun Watson @ Instagram
