NFL Players Association group player agents are arranged to convene on a teleconference Friday morning as the gamers work to settle a contract with group owners on the guidelines and finances of the 2020 NFL season, according to sources.
The sources said the two sides were still negotiating Thursday night on a minimum of 3 key points:
Guidelines for the training camp acclimation duration.
Procedures via which players could pull out of the season for coronavirus-related factors and what would occur to the contracts of those who do.
How to manage the leagues long-term financial resources and salary caps of future years in the wake of predicted 2020 income loss as an outcome of the coronavirus pandemic.
Sources on both sides of the talks said the hope was to get everything concluded by the time groups report to camp. With Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs gamers set up to report this weekend and begin COVID-19 screening, the window for achieving that is growing smaller sized, however Thursday nights round of talks ended with optimism that a deal might be finished within the next couple of days, sources said.
2 RelatedThe most significant problem of the three listed above seems the last one. NFL team owners are forecasting a substantial amount of lost revenue this season as an outcome of needing to play video games in empty or partially filled stadiums. Quotes of those losses differ, but many expectations peg the total up to be in between $3 billion and $4 billion, which would represent about 20-25% of league revenue for the year. And, naturally, those losses would be greater if video games needed to be canceled.
Because the wage cap is connected to league income, a loss in revenue probably would imply a decrease of next years cap. Sources say the owners initial proposal was to absorb the cap hit this year and next– holding a percentage of the players 2020 earnings in escrow and lowering next years income cap in accordance with the losses. This years income cap is $198.2 million per team. Next years cap could drop into the range of $120 million to $130 million per team if revenue-loss forecasts are accurate and no other action is taken.
This would make things extremely hard for a number of groups and probably would lead to a great deal of gamers being launched or having their incomes lowered by groups trying to get under the considerably reduced cap. Because of that, the players initial proposition was to ravel the cap decreases over the life of the new cumulative bargaining arrangement, which runs through the 2030 season. As a (really) rough example, as opposed to knocking $70 million off of next years cap, it would divide $70 million by 10 and use a $7 million reduction each year through completion of the CBA.
(Example: If the projected losses would drop the 2021 cap to $130 million but the agreed-upon “flooring” for 2021 was $160 million, the cap would be set at $160 million and the other $30 million would have to be made up in similar fashion in future years. There is optimism among owners and players that the contract extensions the league plans to do with its TV network partners in the next year or two will lead to considerable cap development.).
When it comes to the other 2 issues– the opt-out procedures/payments and the training school acclimation duration– sources state they stay consolidated the long-lasting financial piece of the settlements. Its possible one side could yield on among those issues in exchange for a concession on the salary-cap discussions.
Previously this week, owners proposed a training camp acclimation period that was closer to what the players have actually requested. The gamers wish to begin camp with 21 days of simply strength and conditioning exercises, followed by 10 days of practice without pads, followed by a 14-day contact acclimation period in which cushioned practices would be allowed.
As for opt-outs, players were informed in a conference call previously this week about a proposition that would pay $250,000 stipends to active-roster gamers (and $100,000 stipends for practice squad players) who chose out since they were in among the defined high-risk COVID-19 groups (such as BMI over 28, or sleep apnea, for instance).
As of Thursday night, sources said, the owners latest proposal included opt-out arrangements for high-risk players along with for non-high-risk gamers, but with varied and various rules and payment for the two groups.
Gamers want much better defenses and responses on what takes place to their salaries if they begin the season but cant finish it. Those problems are still being worked out in addition to the bigger-picture financial issues.
Tuesday is the report date for all groups except for Houston and Kansas City (who report earlier since theyre scheduled to play the Thursday night opener). Under the COVID-19 screening protocols announced earlier today, players will be evaluated on their very first day, quarantine in your home for the next two days, be tested once again on Day 4 and then be enabled into the facility for their training school physicals on Day 5 only if both of their tests come back unfavorable. Gamers will be checked every day for the first 2 weeks of camp, then every other day after that as long as their teams positive test rate is below 5%.
Sources state the owners preliminary proposal was to soak up the cap hit this year and next– holding a portion of the players 2020 earnings in escrow and lowering next years salary cap in accordance with the losses. For that factor, the players initial proposition was to smooth out the cap decreases over the life of the new collective bargaining arrangement, which runs through the 2030 season. There is optimism amongst owners and gamers that the agreement extensions the league prepares to do with its Television network partners in the next year or 2 will lead to significant cap development.).
Under the COVID-19 testing protocols revealed previously this week, players will be tested on their very first day, quarantine at home for the next 2 days, be checked once again on Day 4 and then be permitted into the center for their training camp physicals on Day 5 just if both of their tests come back unfavorable. Gamers will be evaluated every day for the first 2 weeks of camp, then every other day after that as long as their groups positive test rate is listed below 5%.
