Multiple NFL players are exploring their legal options after the revelation of a 61-page arbitration ruling in the NFLPA’s collusion grievance against the league regarding fully-guaranteed contracts, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Players could pursue action against the league (based on the collusive behavior described in the ruling) or the players’ union (based on their representation in the grievance). One of Florio’s sources specifically named Justin Herbert as an ideal potential plaintiff after the ruling revealed communication between Chargers owner Dean Spanos and Cardinals owner Michael Bidwell regarding fully-guaranteed quarterback contracts.
The ruling first became public on Tuesday, more than five months after it was issued by league system arbitrator Christopher Droney. Still hidden, per Florio, is a list of 594 additional players who were included in the grievance behind Kyler Murray, Lamar Jackson, and Russell Wilson. Both the timeframe and the scope of the ruling will play a fundamental role in the future of any new cases.
For Murray, Jackson, and Wilson, the case is decided. The NFL would likely argue the same is true for the other 594 players listed in the grievance, though the discovery process only covered the three quarterbacks. That could give credibility to an argument against the union that they did not properly represent all of the players who were party to the grievance.
The players not listed in the grievance could also have trouble launching cases of their own due to the 50-day window in the league’s collective bargaining agreement, according to Florio. That window has expired due to the apparent decision by the NFL and the NFLPA to keep the ruling out of the public eye when it was issued.
Clearly, this is a developing issue with unknown ramifications, but there is clearly potential for further action by players against collusive behavior within the league.
I am not a lawyer or collecive bargaining expert but why would filing for a suit should be under collective bargaining?
The CBA is a pretty large comprehensive document. It’s essentially the legal agreement between the NFL Goodell and the players union the NFLPA. It encompasses a lot of stuff including no collusion.
Which is standard business jargon. Gas stations can’t collude and set gas prices at 7 bucks a gallon. Grocery stores can’t collude and set grocery item at higher prices where doesn’t matter where you shop it’s same price anyways.
Filing a suit under collective bargaining means the union NFLPA believes the NFL violated the collective bargaining agreement and wants the courts to force the NFL teams to renegotiate contracts with better terms.
My perspective. Murray is lucky he got what he got. Signed for 230 got 160 guaranteed. This coming after an acl tear and reputation for not always being as studious as he should be.
Herber got 263 with 220 guaranteed. Made out like a bandit. M
You are conflating two different things- the illegal act of colluding and the results of corresponding salary negotiations. Collusion is illegal. Just because the results of the salary negotiations ended up being reasonably fair (and I agree with you that they were), that doesn’t change the fact that the owners attempted to engage in illegal activity, and for that they should be punished.
I commented on Murray’s and Herbert’s contract cause while yes the owners did attempt to collude if the nfl voids their contracts for instance as punishment for collusion I doubt either gets what they got going forward. I don’t see either getting as much guaranteed.
A CBA is a legally binding agreement between a labor union and the employer. It maps out the entire infrastructure of the employer-employee relationship- the parameters that instruct how much employees get paid, the funding of benefits, issues of paid/non-paid leave, working conditions, hours, and all of the various facets of employment. It also establishes rules for behavior, and the legal recourse when those rules are broken. Collusion is certainly one of those rules, and it’s why the CBA is the avenue that the players will have to take to enforce the rules. The CBA is like an administrative counterpart to the rulebook of play on the field.
As Andrew Brandt always says: “There will be lawyers.”
Good luck proving this. Just gonna be another talking point for months.
They kind of already have. Dummies like Dean Spanos and Michael Bidwell, the worst owners, on text exchanges gloating about it. If I was the big dogs in the league, I’d send in a special investigator to take their teams form from them because they just cost us a whole lot of money. In the end, the league will settle when they get sued, and the beat goes on. This might facilitate Goodell leaving earlier than expected too if they need to sacrifice him. What’s flying under the radar is the lackey that was hired as NFLPA director a couple of years ago. When I saw Goodell congratulating him like he was welcoming him to the league office, I knew the players were screwed on proper representation.
Goodell’s idea of a fair settlement: “Drop all litigation against the league and we will find you a place on our Olympic flag football team” 🙂
Maybe they should be figuring out how to get their union to actually do something that gets them guaranteed contracts.
Does Jerry Jones Lnow About This!!!
For every negative comment that’s ever been posted about the Browns giving a guaranteed contract to a QB there seems to be a hypocritical about face suddenly with thinking ‘players’ (employees) should be granted full guarantees.
Cracks me up. Yeah owners are rich, some players are richer than other players. $50+M per 18 week season is ludicrous. So both entities are out of control. Financing how many generations of family is necessary to be considered an equitable salary?
Arguments about ‘career ending injuries’ isn’t valid as many occupations of hourly employees have the same, or greater, risk without inordinate compensations.
So hit me up with your distain – I’m not sensitive about the stupidity of ‘sport’ financials and fanatics that consider their fandom a personal possession.
Won’t be long before the term “strike” starts getting thrown around. Wait until the talking heads run with that one.