After over a decade of dealing with both NFL players and billion-dollar ownership groups, DeMaurice Smith clearly has a few things he still wants to get off his chest. In his upcoming book, Turf Wars, the former head of the NFLPA opens fire on some of the biggest names in the sport and he doesn’t pull any punches.
Smith’s Book Takes Aim at NFL’s Most Powerful Figures
Smith ran the NFL Players Association from 2009 to 2023. For most of that time, he was in the middle of major battles that shaped the league, including the 2011 lockout and the controversial 2020 CBA vote. But now, instead of quiet reflection, he’s launching a full-blown attack and just about everyone’s in his sights.
He takes a hard shot at Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, writing, “If Jerry Jones saw a dollar bill on the ground, I truly believe he’d stop and pick it up.” Smith doesn’t stop there. In his eyes, most NFL owners are a “cabal of greedy billionaires,” though he does make an exception for Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who gets a rare mention in the book’s acknowledgements.
The book reveals Smith’s frustration with what he saw as owners prioritizing profits over player safety and fair compensation. His 14-year tenure put him at odds with some of the league’s most influential figures, and those tensions clearly haven’t cooled. Jones, in particular, represents everything Smith believes is wrong with NFL ownership culture.
Aaron Rodgers Gets Called Out for CBA Meeting Drama
Aaron Rodgers isn’t spared either. In fact, Smith seems especially frustrated with the current Jets quarterback and former Packers star. He describes Rodgers as someone who stayed distant and made negotiations harder during the 2020 CBA talks.
“He sat in the back row of the meeting room, issuing loud sighs before standing for a dramatic exit,” Smith writes, calling him “an incredible quarterback” but also “an even more impressive antagonist.”
There’s even a moment where Rodgers sends him a text asking, “Can you call me?” Smith’s mental response? “Could I not run into traffic instead?”
The tension between Smith and Rodgers highlights the challenge of uniting players with vastly different priorities. While some stars focused on maximizing their own earnings, Smith was trying to build consensus around broader player protections. Rodgers’ behavior during those crucial meetings clearly left a lasting impression on the union leader.
The book also digs into racial inequality in football and beyond. Smith recounts preparing his own son for traffic stops, role-playing the officer in scenarios where a small movement could lead to tragedy. The stories are personal and pointed, showing how the fight for player rights connected to larger social justice issues.
Smith’s book isn’t just personal jabs. He also walks readers through some of the biggest internal battles of his time, like Deflategate, the collusion complaint over guaranteed contracts, and the salary cap freeze that lasted years after the 2011 CBA.
While some criticized those deals, Smith argues that wins like the franchise tag rework, reduced practices, and the minimum spending floor helped protect players over the long term.
Kirk Cousins gets dragged into the mess, too. Smith recalls a heated moment at a meeting on anthem protests where Cousins, the only white player present, said kneeling might be hurting revenue.
That drew a blunt response from union official Don Davis, who told him, “Kirk, do you know what the Black players hear when you say that? That the n*****s need to shut up.”
The exchange shows how racial tensions bubbled up during some of the union’s most sensitive discussions. Smith uses these moments to illustrate the complex dynamics he navigated while trying to represent players from vastly different backgrounds and perspectives.
He doesn’t spare Roger Goodell either. Smith labels the commissioner “a cold, dark void,” and saves some of his harshest words for longtime NFL lawyer Jeff Pash, calling him “the most unscrupulous” of a ruthless bunch. These aren’t casual criticisms but calculated attacks on the people Smith believes undermined player interests at every turn.
While he’s no longer in charge of the NFLPA, Smith makes it clear he still cares deeply about the fight. And if Turf Wars is any indication, he’s not done talking. The book promises to be required reading for anyone who wants to understand the real power dynamics that shape America’s most popular sport.
