A private arbitration ruling related to collusion allegations against the NFL concerning guaranteed contracts was kept confidential by the NFL and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) for over five months. The ruling found that while there was insufficient evidence to prove collusion definitively, some communications suggested the league encouraged owners to limit guaranteed money following the Deshaun Watson contract, which was seen as an outlier. The NFLPA and NFL reportedly agreed to a confidentiality deal that prevented players from being informed about the decision. The NFLPA has since decided to appeal the January 14 ruling, effectively unpausing the litigation that had been paused indefinitely. NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell Jr. has downplayed the partial win for players and faced scrutiny amid reports of conflicts of interest and a past sexual discrimination lawsuit from his time at Booz Allen. Despite criticism over the secrecy and handling of the case, the NFLPA Executive Committee publicly expressed support for Howell and denied calls for his resignation. Additionally, another grievance ruling involving the NFL and NFLPA was discovered, further highlighting ongoing transparency issues within league operations.