Huzzah! The NFL owners and the players have come to an agreement! We shall have football this year, rejoice! Rejoice!
Football til 2021
This deal runs through the 2021 draft. That’s 10 glorious years of football…unless of course the owners opt out. I have read that the owners have an opt out scenario in there, though I haven’t been able to track down when such an opt out clause would come into play. I believe the owners can opt out in 2015, but am unsure about the players. The bottom line is that we’ll most likely have football to come for a long, long time.
47% ain’t half bad
The players will average 47% of revenues for the entirety of CBA. The operative word is average, meaning that in some instances the players may see more or less than that 47% figure.
Screw the college kids…
It seems the NFL Players’ Association sacrificed the earning potential of incoming football players for those of outgoing players. It makes sense as player’s aren’t part of the Player’s Union until after joining the league. All drafted players will be inked to 4-year deals, while undrafted free agents will get 3-year contracts. There is a maximum amount of compensation per draft class which is a bit foggy. I don’t know if that means that there’s a figure released each year and then each draft slot gets a certain percentage of the pie or if it’s a free for all and those who sign first can get a larger part of the pie. If it’s the latter, that ties in with the league’s tough stance on hold outs.
…Help the bruised and battered!
The biggest win for the players is that any player that plays in a single game during the current CBA will have lifetime health benefits. Those currently retired get shafted and only get 5-years of coverage.
Sorta injury-proof contracts
If a player gets injured, he keeps any bonus monies given to him and makes his whole salary for the year. If he continues to miss time, then he gets a percentage of his remaining salary, whereas in the past, he would forfeit all future salary.
16 game season, for now
The players have locked up a 16 game season with a 4 game preseason through 2013. Then it’s up for discussion, though I’m not sure what type of discussion. 5 weeks have also been chopped off the off-season programs which hopefully will help keep players fresher (and less injury-prone) throughout the season.
Now it’s time for the NBA to follow the NFL’s lead. Hey, a fella can dream!
