A stunning investigative report has revealed what many around the league have long suspected: NFL team owners allegedly worked together behind the scenes to prevent fully guaranteed contracts from becoming the norm, especially for top-tier quarterbacks. The coordinated effort reportedly began in response to the Cleveland Browns’ blockbuster 2022 deal with Deshaun Watson — a five-year, $230 million contract fully guaranteed.
While speculation about owner collusion has existed for years, this new report, backed by internal texts and detailed documentation, offers the clearest evidence yet of systemic resistance to player-friendly contracts.
The Watson Deal That Sparked a Firestorm
When the Browns traded for Deshaun Watson and immediately awarded him a historic contract with every dollar guaranteed, the move sent shockwaves across the NFL. League executives and fellow owners were reportedly outraged. Many feared the deal would reset the market and force teams to offer similar guarantees to other franchise quarterbacks.
Owners reportedly expressed frustration directly to Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, with some refusing to engage with him during meetings. Behind closed doors, a clear message emerged: Watson’s deal must remain an outlier, not a precedent.
Star Quarterbacks Denied Fully Guaranteed Contracts
Lamar Jackson
Lamar Jackson became a central figure in this alleged collusion. Despite being a former league MVP and still in his prime, Jackson received no outside offers in 2023 after Baltimore placed the non-exclusive franchise tag on him. This allowed other teams to negotiate and potentially sign him — but none did.
Jackson, who had no off-field concerns and a stellar performance history, was seeking a fully guaranteed contract similar to Watson’s. Yet teams like the Falcons, Panthers, and Raiders — all reportedly interested in Deshaun Watson the year prior — refused to even engage. Texts now confirm that owners were aligned in not meeting Jackson’s demands, essentially freezing him out until he agreed to a traditional contract with partial guarantees.
Kyler Murray
Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray also requested a fully guaranteed deal. Owner Michael Bidwill dismissed the idea outright in private texts with then-GM Steve Keim, calling it “baffling.” Instead, the Cardinals structured a heavily incentivized deal that included controversial clauses — including a now-infamous “homework” clause aimed at ensuring Murray’s study habits. Chargers owner Dean Spanos later congratulated Bidwill for avoiding a guaranteed deal, citing how it would help in negotiating Justin Herbert’s contract.
Russell Wilson
After being traded to Denver, Russell Wilson sought a massive extension: seven years at $50 million per year — fully guaranteed. His agent believed the Broncos, desperate for a franchise quarterback, would meet the demand. But the new ownership group, led by Greg Penner and backed by Walmart wealth, declined. With two years still left on Wilson’s old deal, Denver opted for a more traditional extension structure — which, in hindsight, saved them from a deeper financial bind following Wilson’s struggles.
Legal Fallout and the NFLPA’s Defeat
The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) filed a formal complaint alleging collusion among owners to suppress guaranteed contracts. However, the union ultimately lost the case. Despite this, the investigation unearthed a wealth of communications — including private owner texts — that paint a picture of informal agreements and shared strategy among franchises.
The documentation offers rare insight into how NFL teams, while technically competitors, often act in unison on key financial matters — a dynamic that contradicts the league’s structure as 32 independently run businesses.
Implications for Future Negotiations
Though the NFLPA failed in court, the revelations could carry significant weight during the next round of collective bargaining. The current CBA runs through the 2030s, but as talks about an 18-game season and new player rights emerge, expect guaranteed money to become a central battleground.
The report also casts a spotlight on the league’s controversial “funding rule,” which requires teams to escrow the full amount of guaranteed contracts — a policy some claim disincentivizes ownership from offering guarantees, especially among less liquid franchises.
In recent years, more players have pursued shorter-term contracts (e.g., three or four years), hoping to return to free agency sooner. These contracts reduce long-term risk for players and are seen as a workaround to the lack of full guarantees. Expect this trend to continue — unless a new CBA forces systemic change.
Will There Be Any Response?
So far, the NFL has remained silent. Major outlets have largely avoided covering the story in depth, and there has been no formal response from the league office. The NFLPA, despite initiating the complaint, is also said to be reluctant to draw more attention to the case it lost.
Still, the report is out — and it’s already making waves. It raises questions about transparency, fairness, and how much power owners truly wield in shaping player compensation across the league.
What’s Next?
One of the most intriguing subplots revolves around Lamar Jackson, who will soon be up for another extension in Baltimore. Now armed with the public record of what transpired during his last negotiation cycle, will Jackson push harder for a fully guaranteed deal?
More broadly, the report opens the door to future leaks and investigations. With increasing journalistic scrutiny on NFL power dynamics — from contract negotiations to suppressed internal communications — owners may find themselves under the microscope more than ever.
For fans, players, and agents alike, one message is clear: the system may be rigged — and now, there’s proof.
