Supreme Court declines NFL appeal in Flores case, steering dispute toward open court

The Supreme Court declined to hear the NFL’s appeal in the Brian Flores arbitration challenge, leaving intact the Second Circuit’s ruling that the league’s arbitration framework—which designates the commissioner as the default arbitrator—may be unenforceable. Flores’ claims against the NFL and several teams will proceed in open court with discovery, and the decision creates a pathway to challenge arbitration in New York federal court, potentially accelerating a settlement or a trial rather than keeping disputes behind closed doors.