Total Pro Sports
Pablo Torre isn’t just stirring the pot, he might’ve kicked it straight into Roger Goodell’s office. The former ESPN journalist, now host of “Pablo Torre Finds Out,” claimed this week that the NFL is actively “monitoring” his media appearances following his explosive reporting on a hush-hush arbitration ruling involving alleged league-wide collusion.
Speaking candidly on The Dan Le Batard Show, Torre said, “I would say that as the NFL’s monitoring my media appearances, which they are…” before trailing off, as if he knew he was already in deep. The source of the tension? A 61-page arbitration decision the league didn’t want public, but Torre managed to publish in full on Tuesday.
At the heart of Torre’s report lies a bitter dispute between the NFL Players Association and the NFL Management Council. The union accused league executives, backed by Goodell, of orchestrating a behind-the-scenes effort to suppress fully guaranteed quarterback contracts after the Browns handed Deshaun Watson a stunning $230 million deal in 2022.
Independent arbitrator Chris Droney ultimately rejected the collusion charge, but not without dropping serious revelations. He found that the Management Council did, in fact, encourage teams to curb guarantees, even if clubs didn’t formally act together. That subtle distinction allowed the league to escape legal punishment, but it doesn’t make the optics any better.
“This is a document that neither the league nor the owners nor the union wanted out,” Torre told Le Batard. “They fought extremely hard.” He also noted that longtime NFL insider Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk couldn’t get his hands on the document, underscoring how tightly the NFL tried to keep this sealed.
The ruling includes eye-opening texts between Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill and Chargers owner Dean Spanos. After Arizona re-signed Kyler Murray to a deal with only $160 million guaranteed, Spanos texted, “Your deal helps us for our QB next year.” Bidwill replied, “Cleveland really screwed things up, but I was resolved to keep the guaranteed relatively ‘low.’”
The NFLPA alleged that Wilson, Murray, and Jackson all received smaller guarantees because of this informal effort. Despite being a former MVP, Lamar Jackson saw minimal interest in free agency, which now raises more eyebrows in light of these findings.
As for Torre, he seems well aware of the storm he’s walking into. But if the league really is watching, they’ll need to get used to it. He’s not backing down, and the story’s only heating up.
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