NFL Pushing For New CBA By September?

The pendulum regarding CBA momentum continues to swing between optimism and pessimism. Thursday brought more specifics into the equation.

Although the current CBA does not expire until after the 2020 season, the NFL wants to have a new agreement in place within three months. The league would prefer to not have the cloud of potentially contentious CBA talks hanging over its 100th season, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports.

Perhaps more important to the league’s goals on this front: new television contracts. The NFL Sunday Ticket package expires after this season, Monday Night Football after 2021 and the rest of the broadcast deals following the 2022 slate. The NFL would prefer to have labor peace before renegotiating those contracts, Florio adds.

This report comes barely a week after NFLPA chief DeMaurice Smith further stressed the importance of players saving money to prepare for a 2021 work stoppage. Said work stoppage has been rumored for years. Considering how tense matters often are between the league and the union, the 2011 lockout obviously the chief recent example, it will be hard to believe the sides will be able to hammer out a new agreement by September.

Discussions have begun, but with the true deadline many months away, it would be quite the achievement for the parties to unveil a new CBA before the start of this season.

View Comments (2)