Overview
- The three-judge panel, which ruled Friday, upheld a January 2025 dismissal and closed the NFLPA’s collusion grievance with no damages.
- The decision says league officials encouraged and invited clubs to cut back salary guarantees and bonuses, a step the panel called improper.
- The panel wrote that teams understood the message but said the evidence did not show clubs actually acted on it, which kept the ruling in the NFL’s favor.
- The appeal ruling disclosed that the Ravens twice offered Lamar Jackson three-year, fully guaranteed contracts, which he declined before signing his five-year deal in 2023.
- Reporters note the affirmed finding could bolster the NFLPA in future CBA talks and provide material for the Department of Justice’s antitrust inquiry into league practices.