A three-member appeals panel has rejected the NFL Players Association’s challenge to an earlier arbitration decision, dismissing claims that teams conspired to limit quarterback contract guarantees during 2022 negotiations.
The Friday ruling confirmed arbitrator Christopher Droney’s January 2025 decision in a dispute centered on whether franchises engaged in coordinated efforts to suppress contract values for quarterbacks Kyler Murray, Lamar Jackson, and Russell Wilson.
While the appeals panel found the NFL acted “improper” in inviting teams to “participate in collusion,” they determined the evidence failed to demonstrate that clubs actually engaged in the alleged coordinated behavior.
The players’ union argued that Deshaun Watson’s unprecedented five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed deal with Cleveland in March 2022 prompted ownership to coordinate their response, resulting in the three quarterbacks receiving significantly lower guaranteed money.
Murray, currently playing for Minnesota, secured a five-year, $230.5 million extension with Arizona on July 21, 2022, featuring $159 million in guarantees.
Baltimore’s MVP quarterback Jackson signed his five-year, $260 million extension on April 27, 2023, with $185 million guaranteed.
Denver traded for Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson and signed him to a five-year, $242.5 million deal with $161 million guaranteed on September 1, 2022. Following two disappointing seasons, Denver released Wilson, who has since signed one-year deals with Pittsburgh and the New York Giants.
These contract details come from Spotrac, which tracks Wilson’s career earnings at approximately $316 million, ranking fourth in NFL history.
Watson’s trade came amid sexual misconduct allegations from more than 20 massage therapists who filed lawsuits against him. On March 18, 2022, Houston traded Watson and a future fifth-round pick to Cleveland for three first-round selections, plus third and fourth-round picks.
Watson enters his contract’s final year and will hit free agency when the league year ends. Cleveland has restructured his deal multiple times for salary cap flexibility, but he’ll still receive the full contract value.
Due to suspension and injuries, the 30-year-old Watson has played only 19 games across four Cleveland seasons, posting a 9-10 record. With those seasons valued at $184 million, he’s earned nearly $9.7 million per game appearance.
