Russell Wilson finds himself tied to what some are calling a major NFL controversy—but isn’t actually accused of any wrongdoing.
A June 24 video exposed a hidden 61-page document detailing a confidential hearing between NFL owners and the NFL Players Association. Investigative journalist Pablo Torre and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk revealed that Commissioner Roger Goodell, star quarterbacks Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray, and Russell Wilson, along with eight team owners, NFLPA leaders, agents, and executives, all gave testimony during the closed-door session.
The dispute stems from allegations that owners and the NFL’s Management Council colluded to restrict guaranteed money in player contracts after the Browns’ record-shattering deal for Deshaun Watson triggered alarm.
One revealing exchange involved then-NFLPA president J.C. Tretter, who criticized Wilson’s non-guaranteed contract with the Broncos—referring to him as a “wuss” and an unspecified insult—for not pushing harder for full guarantees. These texts, submitted on July 8, 2024, were later used by owners to argue that the collusion case lacked merit.
Torre noted that Tretter’s harsh words about Wilson were leveraged as proof that the blame lay with players, not the NFL’s leadership—helping lead to the case’s dismissal.
While this lawsuit centered on high-profile quarterbacks, Torre and Florio explained it ultimately grew to encompass nearly 600 veteran players, suggesting the potential damages could have reached into the billions if the claims had succeeded.
For now, Wilson is not facing any official allegations—his name simply appeared in the documents. But the episode offers a rare glimpse behind the scenes of how the NFL and its players negotiate contract terms.
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