On Friday, a three-person appeals panel upheld an arbitrator's ruling that NFL teams did not collude during contract negotiations for quarterbacks Kyler Murray, Lamar Jackson, and Russell Wilson in 2022. The panel acknowledged that teams were improperly invited to collude by the NFL but found insufficient evidence to prove that collusion occurred. This decision supports the January 2025 ruling by arbitrator Christopher Droney. The NFL Players Association had contended that team owners violated the collective bargaining agreement by engaging in collusion, particularly following the record-setting, fully guaranteed contract worth $230 million signed by Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson. Notably, none of the three quarterbacks involved in the case secured fully guaranteed contracts. The arbitration process had been shrouded in secrecy, with reports indicating that a confidentiality agreement was reached between the NFL and senior leaders of the NFLPA to prevent players from accessing the arbitration decision.