The back and forth between the league and NFLPA regarding the Ezekiel Elliott case ahead of the appeal continues the sides’ icy relationship. But rather than represent merely the Cowboys running back’s eligibility this season, this conflict looks like another step in a contentious process taking shape before the next CBA negotiations commence, Charles Robinson of Yahoo.com notes.
“That is exactly what it is,” an NFL player who’s his team’s union rep told Robinson. “[The] league is trying to slander the image of the [players association] ahead of the battle. … This is exactly what happens. We will win if they continue this approach. [The NFL is] losing the public trust and empathy.”
Other player representatives told Robinson nothing consequential can be achieved in the next CBA negotiations without a “significant” work stoppage. Said strategy has already become a cornerstone discussion point as the union makes incredibly early preparations for the 2021 standoff. The current CBA has four seasons remaining on it.
Goals like removing the franchise tag from teams’ arsenals and finding a way to ensure contracts have more guaranteed money, or even moving toward the fully guaranteed contracts prevalent in the NBA or MLB, are being discussed, Robinson reports.
NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith fully expects a work stoppage come 2021. The NFL hasn’t seen any games missed due to a labor impasse since 1987. The 2011 lockout ended up simply truncating the offseason.
Although it’s interesting players in the league now are bracing for this work stoppage, when it will affect many players who are in college and many in high school presently, Robinson writes and argument can be made this is the earliest and most serious preparations for CBA talks in NFL history.
Some at the NFLPA are calculating how much money will be needed in reserve to executive a work-stoppage strategy. One union source told Robinson as much as $500MM or $600MM would need to be saved for the purposes of compensating players by the time the strike/lockout comes.
“We will win if they continue this approach. [The NFL is] losing the public trust and empathy.”
Yes, the NFL losing customers will surely benefit the NFLPA. I see they are well run.
Let’s be honest, only about 10% of NFL fans actually care about NFL football. Otherwise, it’s an excuse to drink for the tailgaters and an excuse to bet for the gamblers.
They’ll find college guys to be replacement players and break the union.
First priority get RID of goodell!
Problem is the players will cave, always do, owners are billionaires who can wait them out, sad too say a good portion of players are already broke n in dire straights waiting for that 1st gm ck…..strippers, a phat posse, “party favors,” n bail money….it all adds up. If…if the player’s lawyers were smart they would go on strike at end of season before play-offs…..all those crazy money TV deals are based on how lucrative that play-off audience is….then the players would have all the power n could get concessions from owners, until then it is a ruthless non-guaranteed contract gladiator free for all.
This why people are not watching the NFL. Never ending drama and problems and complaints and just crap associated with this league that has nothing to do with football. I used to watch the NFL as an escape, I don’t need more drama and bs in my life.