Chargers ownership in the thick of NFL's new biggest drama

Los Angeles Chargers owner Dean Spanos has popped up in a landmark collusion grievance featuring NFL owners and involving the contracts of star quarterbacks. 

In the deep dive on the 61-page ruling, Mike Florio of NBC Sports revealed that Spanos sent a congratulatory text to Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill concerning the big-money extension for quarterback Kyler Murray. 

The text exchange from the 61-page ruling, courtesy of Florio: 

Spanos: “Congratulations on signing Murray.”

Bidwill: “Thanks Deno! These QB deals are expensive but we limited the fully guaranteed money and have some pretty good language. Thankfully, we have a QB that’s worth paying.”

Spanos: “Your deal helps us for our QB next year.”

Bidwill: “I think many teams will be happy with it once they have a chance to review. Cleveland really screwed things up, but I was resolved to keep the guaranteed [money] relatively ‘low.’”

There’s a lot to unpack here. As Florio argues, it’s probably not common for businesses to openly chat about the payment of employees like this. It’s a proverbial smoking gun, even if the most casual of fans understood that Cleveland’s foolery on the Deshaun Watson contract wasn’t going to be something other teams followed, setting a new quarterback contract precedent. 

As Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports pointed out, the arbitrator did not rule Spanos’ comments as proof of collusion to the point of passing the high standard found in the CBA. But it also feels like proof that NFL owners will do whatever it takes to keep fully guaranteed contacts out of future CBA proceedings: “If such a development is worthy of congratulatory messages between partners and rivals, it is reasonable to assume those partners are motivated to ensure guaranteed contracts will not become a part of any future collective bargaining agreement.”

What we do know? Murray got just $160 million of his $230 million contract guaranteed. The Chargers followed with Herbert getting $218 million of his $262 million guaranteed. 

Likewise, the whole ordeal doesn’t change Chargers fans' perceptions on Spanos much at all. And fans have very much yet to hear the last of this, seeing as the lengthy ruling is only just going public and legal responses and otherwise from involved parties could follow.