In February 2025, an arbitration ruling favored the NFL, stating that then-NFLPA president JC Tretter encouraged players to exaggerate injuries to gain contract leverage, a claim rooted in a grievance filed by the NFL.

Following this, high-profile players like Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs secured long-term contracts after initially being franchise-tagged in 2023, with Barkley signing with the Eagles and Jacobs with the Packers.

The grievance argued that any player following the union's advice to exaggerate injuries would breach the collective bargaining agreement, although no specific players were accused of faking injuries.

This arbitration decision comes shortly after another recent case where the NFLPA's grievance against NFL teams for collusion to limit guaranteed contracts was dismissed.

The ruling, made by Sidney Moreland based on hearings in 2024, was publicly announced on July 17, 2025, through the podcast 'Pablo Torre Finds Out'.

The arbitration was rooted in a 2023 podcast appearance by Tretter, where he discussed the difficulties faced by running backs in contract negotiations and hinted that players might need to find creative ways to increase leverage, without explicitly endorsing injury faking.

The NFL filed a grievance on September 11, 2023, accusing the NFLPA of suggesting players exaggerate injuries during a Zoom meeting, which the union denied and argued was a breach of the CBA.

The NFL stated that Tretter's comments violated the collective bargaining agreement and barred him and the union from similar conduct in the future.