The NFL’s current collective bargaining agreement is set to expire in early 2021, and it looks like the NFL Player’s Association is already preparing for a potential work stoppage. According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today, the NFLPA’s board of representatives have approved a plan that would set aside millions of dollars into a “work-stoppage fund.”
Instead of immediately handing out the licensing royalties to players, the NFLPA is seemingly setting this money aside in case of a strike. Pelissero suggests the players will ultimately accumulate more than $90MM over the next four years, “on top of union dues that already are saved for that purpose.” NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith has already done an admirable job of collecting money since taking over the role in 2008, as the union has over $314 million in net assets.
2016 royalty money will still be handed out to players this fall, with the “equal share” starting to see an impact for the 2017 campaign. Pelissero reports that the “equal share” earnings for NFL players in 2015 was around $13,200, which ends up equaling out to more than $22MM. This number will surely be reduced as the NFLPA looks to save some money for a potential work stoppage. Any applicable royalties will also be placed into the fund until a player retires, unless there’s a strike before then. In that case, the collected royalty money will be allocated to the players immediately (as determined by the NFLPA board).
On the flip side, the NFL itself reportedly doesn’t have these financial contingencies in place. As the the writer notes, a matter of contention during the 2011 strike was the NFLPA’s assertion that the league had saved up more than $4 billion in TV revenue for a potential lockout.
The NFL has reportedly approached the NFLPA regarding a renegotiation multiple times, but to no avail. Pelissero suggests that “stadium credits” will surely be atop the list of sticking points, along with how money is allocated via the lucrative television deal. Offseason practice rules and Roger Goodell‘s “authority over discipline” will also surely be discussed.
Hopefully Goodell is gone before then.
Hopefully there is no strike. But if there is…. screw them all. Wealthy owners. Over paid players. Let them get real jobs
keep trying to alienate the fan base and you will see a backlash! While any and all concerning the NFL gets more and more $$$, apparently no thought has gone into the fact that fans aren’t
This is what happens when lawyers are running the show.
This is a legitimate question: how does a professional sport end? Like they won’t be around forever. Is it an abrupt start, a die out, or does it evolve into something else?
Just something I’ve been wondering. Would love to hear opinions
I don’t think they will end.
They just stop selling tickets and playing games. See XFL, USFL.
But football didn’t end. Just those leagues.
Everything ends. Time is something we can barely comprehend – I’m sure the Romans once thought Gladiatorial battles would never end. Everything has a shelf life in the grander scheme – we just may all be dead before football dies.
Fight for fully guaranteed contracts.
The NFLPA is still trying to get out from under its long ago first President Ed Garvey. Garvey, a trade union type, thought seniority should trump merit. In the NFL! What an idiot. All these years later contracts are still not guaranteed while baseball players reap the benefits of competent leadership.
Football players can’t be replaced like truck drivers or longshoremen. It will take a big fight. Smith and his team are doing the right thing.
baseball contracts are the mist garbage contracts in all of sports. i say that while not being very educated on futbol contracts though…. if a pitcher signs a 20m a year contract and ends up requiring tommy john surgery in spring training, he should not be paid 20m. every contract should have an injury clause to make money yes. but 20m of dead money is poor management. contracts should be incentive based for every player. that would allow for far more motivation And effort. you would have Randy moss in Oakland type players… but thats just my opinion. im not trying to say my way is right.
baseball contracts are the most garbage contracts in all of sports. i say that while not being very educated on futbol contracts though…. if a pitcher signs a 20m a year contract and ends up requiring tommy john surgery in spring training, he should not be paid 20m. every contract should have an injury clause to make money yes, but 20m of dead money is poor management. contracts should be incentive based for every player, or for example a 5m dollar base salary. that would allow for far more motivation And effort. you wouldnt have Randy moss in Oakland type players… but thats just my opinion. im not trying to say my way is right.
Greed…
Don’t know what you’ve got, until it’s gone!