As the Patriots and Bengals wait to revise their game plans for Sunday based on the outcome of the Ja’Marr Chase appeal hearing, it’s important to note that the NFL-NFL Players Association hearing officers are far from independent.

The trio of hearing officers — Derrick Brooks, Ramon Foster, and Jordy Nelson (who will handle the Chase case) — are “jointly appointed and compensated by the NFL and NFL Players Association to decide appeals of on-field player discipline.” They does not make them independent, free from consequence for any ruling that one side or the other doesn’t like.

The Collective Bargaining Agreement explains that, as to hearings for on-field misconduct (like spitting on an opponent), the NFL and NFLPA “shall, on an annual basis, jointly select two (2) or more designees t

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