ATTENTION! ATTENTION! WE HAVE SPORTS NEWS! I REPEAT, WE HAVE SPORTS NEWS!
Early this morning the NFL Player’s Associated narrowly passed the new collective bargaining agreement effectively opening up the league year. The final vote tally was 1019- 959: essentially a 51% to 48% split.
With the newly ratified CBA to run through 2030, the NFL has avoided another long and stressful lockout that could have gone longer because of COVID-19. Here is what you need to know about the latest news.
What Passed?
The most important articles that passed related to an increase in shared revenue and retired-player benefits. This clearly helped with middle-of-the-pack players who were never going to make the amounts of money the average QB makes now.
The other main point is an increase in the playoff format and a potential added game to the NFL season. For the 2020 season, only the #1 seed gets a bye week in the playoffs with the #2 seed playing the newly formed #7th seed.
With the league salary cap set to increase by over $10 million, larger contracts are about to be dished out as well.
What does it mean for the Players?
New NFLPA President JC Tretter’s points on the new deal leads to a very clear and obvious point. Clearly the players were split on this vote. Stars from across the NFL emphatically stated their disapproval for the vote but it clearly wasn’t enough. This goes to show that stars like Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, and JJ Watt are not the majority of the NFL players.
As Breer says, 60% of the players got an immediate raise with the new CBA. That doesn’t seem like much to the stars of the league but to guys like Jordan Mailata, or even Greg Ward, that is a major difference. Clearly there is a major disconnect between the stars of the league and the players needing an increase in cash before they get new deals. It also didn’t help that the players who were adamantly against the latest CBA, were also not present when they were given the chance to explain why.
This also means that the drug and suspension policy has changed as well. Marijuana is no longer on the banned substance list, while the NFL Commissioner can no longer appoint himself as judge-jury-executioner on all appeals and suspension decisions. A deflate-gate scenario will now be heard by an independent arbitrator.
And yes this means the return of many players who were suspended for the use of Marijuana.
With the salary cap now unveiled at $198.2 million, and the franchise and transition tag no longer usable as a way to keep two players on the roster, let the free agent pool begin.
What does it mean for the owners?
Clearly this was fantastic news for the owners, and arguable for the fans. Due to the virus, if the players voted no on this CBA, it would be quite a long time before player reps and owners would’ve been able to come up with a new deal that would have threatened the 2020 season. The deal being in place now means that the NFL Owners have the power to choose if they want a 17 game season or not, as well as set the market for all tv contracts that are soon to follow.
What does it mean for the Eagles?
This honestly could not have gone any better for the Eagles. For starters, the rival Cowboys now have to choose between their “franchise” QB and “Pro-Bowl” WR.
Such a shame that the Cowboys took their time on a deal with Dak and now have to choose.
This also could lead to the likely release of a certain anonymous source:
Not many days you can make your locker room better AND see your rival squirm to have to come up with quick, overpaid deals all in one day.
What does it means for the fans?
For the fans who have been craving to hear some news from any sports outlet- this is a great day. For all intents and purposes, there will be an NFL season. An extra game to the schedule in 2021 will be cool, but the extended playoff format is going to be really interesting for this upcoming season. In the end, it truly is a win/win/ for the players, owners, and fans. The owners get more revenue with an increase in tv deals and extra game money. The players get an increase in salary and retiree benefits. The fans get more football.
Let the Offseason circus begin!
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
