The NFL is seeking more than $12MM of legal fees and costs from the NFLPA stemming from the collusion grievance that has dominated headlines in the past month, according to ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. and Kalyn Kahler.
This is the latest move in an ongoing battle between the league and the players’ union over guaranteed money. The issue has come to the forefront this offseason after an arbitrator’s ruling on the collusion case came to light. (30 of the 2025 draft’s 32 second-round picks also remained unsigned as they seek more guaranteed money on their rookie deals. On Friday, Chargers wideout Tre Harris became the first official holdout.)
The NFL’s decision to pursue legal costs came immediately after the NFLPA filed an appeal of the collusion ruling last Tuesday. That’s no coincidence, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer; the league used the potential to recoup legal fees as leverage to get the union to agree to a confidentiality agreement and discourage an appeal. The confidentiality agreement, however, seemed to draw out the standoff by extending the CBA-mandated 10-day appeal deadline for the NFLPA and giving the NFL “additional time to seek reimbursement of its legal costs,” per Van Natta and Kahler.
Once the ruling became public, pressure mounted on the NFLPA to appeal. They did, and the NFL followed through on their threat, though it remains unclear if the league is actually entitled to the money, per Breer.
Regardless, the back-and-forth ensures that the collusion grievance and the issue of guaranteed money more generally will remain in the spotlight, as will the overall leadership of NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell. The confidentiality agreement concealing the collusion ruling would seem to fly in the face of the transparency Howell promised when he was hired by the union. The ruling was only shared with lawyers and select executives on either side of the case, according to Van Natta and Kahler. Howell is also facing accusations of a conflict of interest after it was revealed that he worked as a part-time consultant for a private equity firm that has been approved by the league to pursue a minority stake in an NFL team.
Ridiculous negotiating tactic. NFL owners are such tools.
Knew this would get messy but wow.
Wow, that is a great labor relationship tactic!
To be fair, it’s ok when most 2025 2nd rounders hold out for guaranteed contracts, and that’s not collusion. But it is collusion when team owners don’t want to give out fully guaranteed contracts? Can’t cherry pick now.