In January 2025, former NFL Players Association executive director Lloyd Howell hid an arbitration ruling that contained a useful finding that the NFL had invited teams to collude as to the issue of guaranteed contracts.
In April 2026, current NFLPA executive director JC Tretter handled the appeal decision in the same case differently.
Tretter promptly informed the NFLPA’s board of player representatives about the ruling. The message, a copy of which PFT has obtained, explains that the ruling on appeal (a loss for the union on the surface) affirmed the finding that “the NFL had encouraged and invited clubs to take steps to reduce salary guarantees and bonuses during a March team owners’ meeting.”
The message also includes the key line from the appeal ruling: “We cannot fathom these sophisticated businesspeople did not comprehend they were being encouraged to limit or reduce guaranteed contracts.”
Tretter faced questions last year regarding the concealment of the original ruling, given that he was the NFLPA chief strategy officer at the time. He has since said that the ruling was also kept from him, and that he was “muzzled” by the union’s lawyers when he wanted to set the record straight.
The fact that the NFL was caught attempting to collude could be used by the NFLPA in various ways. At a minimum, it’s a potent P.R. tool. It also could become part of the new effort by the Department of Justice to investigate the NFL for anticompetitive practices.
The nature of the NFL’s arrangement with the NFLPA gives the league a specific antitrust exemption. Because the NFLPA has been organized as a multi-employer bargaining unit, the 32 independent businesses that belong to the NFL can impose certain rules on the selection, payment, and movement of employees. Side deals among those businesses that aren’t permitted by the rules (e.g., an agreement to limit guaranteed contracts) exceed the antitrust exemption — making it a potential antitrust violation.
Given that the DOJ is looking for potential antitrust violations, the arbitration ruling (as repeated and strengthened by the appeal) becomes another avenue for poking around in the NFL’s business.
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