Collective Bargaining Agreement - Pro Football Rumors

NFL To Vote On Expanded Playoffs

March 27th, 2020 at 2:07pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL Draft will commence on April 23rd as planned, and so will the league’s push towards an expanded postseason. Next week, owners will vote on the proposed 14-team playoff via conference call, as Judy Battista of NFL.com tweets.

On the call, the owners will also hash out some other pending league matters. Potential changes to the in-game rules, however, will likely be held for a later date. That’ll likely take place at the league meeting, which is presently slated for mid-may in Los Angeles.

The proposed postseason would include seven teams from each conference, with only one bye being awarded in the AFC and NFC. The other three divisional winners, meanwhile, would partake in Wild Card weekend with home field advantage.

The new playoff system will almost certainly be ratified for the 2020 season. It’s one of many changes on the way, thanks to the brand new collective bargaining agreement. In the not-too-distant-future (perhaps as early as 2021), the league is also expected to add an extra game to the regular season.

Players Approve Collective Bargaining Agreement

March 15th, 2020 at 9:22am CST by Rory Parks

The votes are in. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter), NFL players have ratified the proposed collective bargaining agreement, signaling another era of labor peace between the union and the league. The new CBA will run through the 2030 season.

The final count was incredibly close. About 80% of dues-paying players made their voices heard — which, as Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com tweets, was more than many expected — and 1,019 players voted to approve against 959 votes to reject. The prospect of playing out the 2020 season under the old CBA was very real, and that could have resulted in a work stoppage in 2021.

There is plenty to unpack here, but we have been covering the CBA negotiations from Day 1, so by clicking the “Collective Bargaining Agreement” tag at the bottom of this article, you can read through all of our CBA-related posts to see exactly what this agreement means for the league. However, we would be remiss if we didn’t point out a few highlights:

The playoffs will expand to seven teams per conference in 2020;
We will see a 17-game season at some point in the near future, perhaps as early as 2021;
There will be an increase in minimum salaries;
Players will obtain a bigger share of the league’s total revenue (48-48.5%);
Rosters will expand from 53 to 55 players (with active rosters increasing from 46 to 48 players). However, the two extra players will be practice squad players;
Practice squads will expand from 10 to 14 players;
Fifth-year options for first-round picks from 2018 forward will be fully-guaranteed (not guaranteed for injury only), will be based on performance, and can be as high as the franchise tag number for the player’s position;
All pension amounts increase by 10%;
There will be no marijuana-related suspensions.

This also means that teams who would have been permitted to use the franchise and transition tags in 2020 (namely, the Cowboys and Titans) will now only be able to use one of those tags. On the flip-side, cap-strapped teams like the Saints can release players and spread their dead money hit over two seasons by designating such players as post-June 1 cuts. Likewise, it will be much easier for teams to spend cash in free agency now, because they can push cap charges into future years.

Furthermore, the league has now set the 2020 salary cap at $198.2MM. That is lower than what some expected, but still a $10MM increase over the 2019 figure. Larger jumps are expected in 2021 and beyond, and now the league can focus on securing new TV deals, which will only increase the total pie.

The complicating factor in all of this, of course, is the coronavirus pandemic that has had a wide-reaching impact throughout the sports world. The league did not want to make any changes to its schedule prior to the CBA vote, but now that the CBA has been approved, the league and union will discuss delaying the start of free agency. As of right now, the legal tampering period is slated to open tomorrow, March 16, with free agency set to open on Wednesday, March 18.

The NFLPA’s statement on the vote can be found here. Commissioner Roger Goodell‘s statement can be found here. Dan Graziano of ESPN.com also does an excellent job of analyzing the key points of the new CBA.

One Agent Claims 28 Of 30 Clients Voted For CBA

March 14th, 2020 at 6:56pm CST by Marc Delucchi

The deadline for players to vote on the NFL’s proposed extension to the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is tonight at midnight. While it is far from a scientific exit poll, one agent tells Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports that 28 of his 30 clients voted in favor of the proposal. La Canfora adds that “a good portion of his clients are rank-and-file guys and not superstars.”

As has been well covered since the league surprisingly approved this proposal at the start of the month, many of the league’s stars and most prominent players strongly oppose the deal. However, the league keenly pandered to more rank-and-file players and if La Canfora’s report proves to be somewhat representative of the final tally, they appear poised to carry the vote to an approval.

It would be a shockingly early resolution to labor negotiations that were expected to be one of the nastiest disputes in league history. Both the league and player leaders have been advising their members for some time to brace themselves for a work stoppage after the coming NFL season. Instead, the current deal seems poised to never actually expire.

Latest On NFL’s CBA Talks

March 12th, 2020 at 10:14am CST by Zachary Links

The deadline for the NFLPA’s CBA vote has not been changed, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The union is still asking for all votes to be submitted by 11:59 pm ET on Saturday. And, on Thursday morning, the NFLPA sent out an email to agents everywhere with the following message: “Please encourage your player clients to exercise their right to vote.”

Meanwhile, offseason plans have been thrown into flux. The league is discussing potential changes to the NFL Draft, slated to take place on April 23-25 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The NFLPA is also doing its due diligence – they’ll have a conference call with medical experts on Friday to assess the situation and determine what steps need to be taken on their end (via Mike Florio of PFT). So far, no announcements have been made regarding restrictions on the travel, workouts, and conferences that are scheduled to take place in the offseason. And, in the midst of everything, the two sides are working to hammer out a brand new CBA that will ensure labor peace for another decade.

On the union side, the NFLPA recently elected Browns center J.C. Tretter as its new president. Tretter was one of four players in the running to take over for Eric Winston and that field was basically whittled down to three when Russell Okung – entangled in some other issues – backed out.

Extra Points: Bennett, NFLPA, Cap, Kirksey

March 10th, 2020 at 9:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Michael Bennett went through a nomadic late-2010s stretch after the Seahawks traded him in 2018, he remained productive. The veteran defensive lineman has registered 15.5 sacks over the past two seasons and is a free agent for the first time since 2013. Bennett, who signed with the Seahawks in 2013, would like to return to the team to which he’s most linked. Asked if he would want to play for the Seahawks again, the 34-year-old defender said “hard yes.” Bennett, though, has not yet committed to playing a 12th NFL season.

“I would love to end my career in Seattle,” Bennett said, via Joe Fann of NBC Sports Northwest. “It’s not up to you, though. It’s up to the team.”

The Seahawks gave Bennett two contracts, including a three-year, $31.5MM extension in 2016. That contract was set to run through 2020, but after the Eagles and Patriots traded him, Bennett and the Cowboys restructured the deal to direct him toward free agency this year. Seattle has most of its pass rushers — including Jadeveon Clowney and Jarran Reed — as impending free agents, so the franchise will have critical decisions to make in the next week and change.

Here is the latest from around the league, moving first to the reconfigured NFLPA:

Russell Okung has enjoyed an eventful March, being traded from the Chargers to the Panthers and filing an unfair labor practice charge at the NFLPA staff. As for Okung’s status with the union, he will no longer be part of the NFLPA’s executive committee, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Okung dropped his bid for NFLPA president, throwing support behind Michael Thomas in a race that went to Browns center J.C. Tretter. Both of the players Tretter beat out for the job — Thomas and linebacker Sam Acho — will stay on as executive committee members.
Calais Campbell, Malcolm Jenkins and Wesley Woodyard will replace Mark Herzlich, Zak DeOssie and Adam Vinatieri on the executive committee. They will join Tretter, Acho, Thomas, Richard Sherman, Ben Watson, Alex Mack, Lorenzo Alexander and Thomas Morstead on the 11-man committee, the union announced.
Rumblings about the salary cap rising to around $230MM by 2021 have surfaced, but the 2020 cap will not move too far from the previously estimated $200MM amount. If the players approve the CBA proposal, the highest the cap would surge to in 2020 would be $206MM, per Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic (subscription required). While the salary ceiling could climb significantly by 2023, if the league’s TV negotiations go well, those spikes will not come until at least 2021.
Christian Kirksey may have a chance to land on his feet before free agency. Recently released by the Browns, the veteran linebacker has three visits scheduled, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets. Kirksey’s travel itinerary is not yet known, but the 27-year-old defender’s first visit is scheduled for Wednesday morning.
The Texans will take a look at a notable wide receiver soon. They will work out former Broncos rotational cog Jordan Taylor, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle notes. Taylor has not played since the 2017 season. He spent 2018 on the Broncos’ PUP list, and though he caught on with the Vikings last year, the 28-year-old target did not see game action.

Extra Points: Tagovailoa, CBA, Chris Harris

March 10th, 2020 at 1:56pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

One of the biggest stories of the 2020 draft is the health of Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa of course suffered a brutal hip injury toward the end of the college football season that threatened to derail his pro career. Fortunately everything has gone smoothly with his recovery up until now, and he got another solid update recently. Tagovailoa had his four-month scans on the hip, something that was always considered a very important marker in the process, and everything went well, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).

Sources told Rapoport that the scans came back “very good with no concerns” and that they were “as positive as possible.” Rapoport notes that with this scan out of the way, Tagavailoa will now be able to ramp up his physical activity. It’s unclear when exactly he’ll be able to play again, but at the very least he’ll miss a good portion of the offseason program of whatever team drafts him. Despite the concerns over his hip, he still seems very likely to be off the board early in the first round, and potentially within the first few picks. Here’s to hoping everything continues to progress nicely and we see him back on the field soon.

Here’s more from around the football universe:

Another under the radar concession the players got in the new proposed CBA is a significant increase in offseason pay. Starting in 2021 the rates players are paid for minicamp and the preseason will go from $2K a week to $2.9K a week for veterans, and from $1.15K a week to $1.7K a week for rookies, according to Mike Klis of Denver 9 News (Twitter link). Klis also reports that every other year those numbers will increase an additional $300 per week for veterans and $150 per week for rookies. Many undrafted rookies who are part of the offseason 90-man roster but don’t stand any chance of making the team barely get anything for their efforts, so this will at least put a little additional cash in their pockets during training camp.
Chris Harris is looking for a big payday this offseason, and it looks like the cornerback won’t be back with the Broncos next year. In preparation for his first testing of the open market, the veteran fired his agent Fred Lyles and signed with a bigger firm, according to Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic. Ironically Jhabvala notes that Lyles also represents cornerback A.J. Bouye, who Denver just traded for to essentially replace Harris. Harris has always been a top corner but he’s now on the wrong side of 30, so it’ll be very interesting to see what his market looks like. He turned down an extension offer of $12MM annually from the Broncos last year.
In case you missed it, the NFL pushed back the franchise tag deadline as CBA talks continue to drag on.

NFLPA Elects J.C. Tretter As President

March 10th, 2020 at 11:58am CST by Zachary Links

The NFL Players’ Association has elected J.C. Tretter as its new president, the union announced on Tuesday. Last week, Tretter was one of four players nominated for the position. Now, he’ll spearhead the NFLPA during a critical stretch in the CBA talks.

Last week, NFLPA’s presidential race came down to Russell Okung, Michael Thomas (of the Giants), Sam Acho, and Tretter. Okung has been lobbying for the job for months, but he backed out of the running this week and put his support behind Thomas.

Tretter, a center for the Browns, will take over for Eric Winston, who has served as the union prez since 2014. There will be little time for on-the-job training: The NFLPA has until Saturday to vote on the proposed CBA and travel hazards associated with the coronavirus scare may complicate things further. Meanwhile, we’re also just days away from the official start of NFL free agency.

If more than 50% of players vote against the CBA, the 2020 season will be played under the current CBA, which was established in 2011. That CBA expires in March 2021. If the proposed CBA is not ratified, we’ll be looking at increased odds of a strike or lockout next year.

In the last round of voting, Thomas and Okung both voted against the CBA, Acho voted in favor of it, and, in the immediate aftermath, no one knew Tretter’s take. But, on Tuesday, PFT’s Mike Florio (via Twitter) reported that Tretter voted in favor of the CBA. With that in mind, Tretter’s election may bode well for a deal between now and Saturday.

J.C. Tretter, Michael Thomas, Sam Acho Nominated For NFLPA President

March 9th, 2020 at 1:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Three players will join Russell Okung in vying for the role of NFLPA president. Browns center J.C. Tretter, Giants safety Michael Thomas and Buccaneers linebacker Sam Acho have received nominations for union president, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.

Okung, who unveiled his candidacy earlier this year, was also nominated Monday. Okung, Thomas and Acho are current members of the NFLPA’s executive committee. Tretter serves as the Browns’ third co-alternate union representative.

The NFLPA will elect its next president on Tuesday; the union’s board members are meeting in south Florida this week to discuss key matters. One item obviously overshadows the rest this week. Players now have until 10:59pm CT Saturday to vote on the CBA. The NFLPA voted Monday to delay the deadline for two days.

Eric Winston has served in the role since 2014, but he will cycle out of it after ending his playing career after the 2018 season. The next president may or may not be thrust into a high-stakes situation. If more than 50% of players vote against CBA ratification, the 2020 season will be played under the 2011 CBA. That CBA expires in March 2021. Players voting against the proposal will increase the prospects of a strike or lockout next year.

Of the new members, Okung and Thomas submitted “no” votes on the CBA; Acho voted “yes” on the proposal, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets. Tretter did not indicate which way he has voted on the owners’ offer, Pelissero adds (via Twitter). Okung has been a hard-liner against the 17-game schedule, so much so he filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board against the staff of the NFLPA, Ken Belson of the New York Times reports.

Okung’s filing accuses union executive director DeMaurice Smith of forcing a union-wide CBA vote despite objections from the executive committee, Belson adds. The executive committee voted 6-5 in February not to recommend the owners’ CBA proposal, and after the Combine meeting, the executive committee was at 7-4 against recommending the CBA, Belson reports. However, the union’s 32-player board voted to send the proposal for a union-wide vote.

Should the recent Panthers trade acquisition receive the keys after the players vote down a proposal Smith and Winston championed, the league could be set for period of uncertainty over the next several months.

NFLPA Pushes Back CBA Vote Deadline

March 9th, 2020 at 12:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

12:15pm: The NFL is now considering moving the deadline for teams to apply franchise and/or transition tags to players, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The new league year beginning March 18, however, will not move, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).

12:00pm: The NFLPA will give its full union body more time to vote on this CBA proposal. The union’s board voted to delay the deadline two days. Players will now have until 10:59pm CT Saturday to vote on the proposal. Votes were previously due at 10:59pm Thursday.

This comes as the union is set to elect its next president. Russell Okung, a vocal opponent of the 17-game schedule included in this CBA, is the only confirmed candidate. But others could be nominated Monday. The union will elect its next leader Tuesday.

A number of players wanted the union to produce a side-by-side comparison of this CBA proposal compared to 2011’s, Albert Breer of SI.com tweets, helping to explain the delay. If more than 50% of players vote to ratify, the CBA will pass and be in place for 10 years.

This will also cloud NFL business. Teams have until 3pm CT Thursday to place franchise or transition tags on players. The league moved the tag deadline back from March 10 to March 12 but opted against pushing the tag window back again. But with the CBA vote now pushed to a date after the franchise-transition window’s closing, it is fair to wonder if the NFL will adjust its calendar again as well. Teams could use both tags but would have to rescind one if the players ratify the CBA.

Both NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith and outgoing president Eric Winston (via Peter King of NBC Sports) expect it to pass. But this delay, and the prospect of Okung succeeding Winston, could cloud such optimism. Because of the enormous reach CBA opponents Aaron Rodgers, J.J. Watt, Russell Wilson and other stars have, Breer notes the large sect of league-minimum players are not automatically expected to vote to ratify the CBA — even if it’s in that group’s best interest. The vote is expected to be close, Breer adds.

TV Negotiations Nixed Two-Bye Schedule?

March 8th, 2020 at 9:53pm CST by Sam Robinson

It seems somewhat strange the NFL is attempting to move to a 17-game season without adding an additional bye week. After such a format was initially rumored, it did not take off.

This CBA proposal includes a 17-game season — which would begin as early as 2021 — and three preseason games. The TV networks’ past stance against a double-bye schedule influenced the owners to keep the single-bye setup this time around, Mark Maske of the Washington Post tweets.

The NFL, which used 16-week seasons from 1978-89, introduced the 17-week campaign in 1990. In 1993, the league placed two byes on the schedule. However, the 18-week season turned out to be a one-year experiment. And TV networks’ past issues with the double-bye format look to have intervened in these CBA talks.

The league has placed obvious importance on the next round of TV deals, and Maske notes the prospect of networks remaining against the two-bye setup led to this CBA proposal not including it. NFLPA executive committee member Aaron Rodgers expressed disappointment owners did not introduce the 17-game concept until midway through the talks and offered that a 16-game season with two byes would make more sense (Twitter links via Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette). Word of the 17-game season did not emerge until late September — months after the talks began.

Some owners may still be holding out hope for 18 games, which would be odd given that such a format would induce a 19-week schedule ownership just opted to avoid. During these CBA talks, the players deemed the long-rumored 18-game schedule a non-starter.

Collective Bargaining Agreement News & Rumors