NFLPA Affirms Its Licensing Rights In Wake Of Gertzog's Comments

Keith Gordon says NFL locked out sponsors along with players

The NFLPA’s marketing and licensing arm today issued a strongly worded statement saying that it does have the right to use group player licensing rights in deals with NFL and non-NFL sponsors and disputing public comments made by an NFL exec questioning whether the association’s subsidiary has those rights. "Once NFL Owners decided to lock the players out, they also locked out their fans and are now locking out sponsors," said NFL Players President Keith Gordon in a statement.

Gordon said, "Statements made by the NFL regarding the NFLPA's licensing and marketing business, particularly those of its senior business counsel Gary Gertzog, are factually incorrect." Gertzog in this week’s SportsBusiness Journal questioned NFL Players' rights to sign group player licensing deals now that the NFLPA has decertified as a union and is operating as a trade association.

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