This morning Dan Graziano of ESPN published an article discussing the possibility of restructuring the NFL season with the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The current CBA was instituted in 2011 and expires in March 2021. Some of the key features of that agreement were:
- The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) had to re-constitute as the players’ union
- Reduction in off-season practices
- Reduction in contact practices during both preseason and the regular season
- Salary guarantees for injured players
- Salary cap minimums (i.e. the amount that teams MUST spend paying players)
- A revenue split, guaranteeing players at least 47% of all league revenue annually
Notice anything? Except for the NFLPA resuming responsibility as a player’s union, those all fall under two categories; safety or salary. This should be no surprise as those two topics are still prevalent daily, such as Raider’s WR Antonio Brown’s fight to wear the helmet he wants (although in this case, he’s oddly fighting against safety), or RB Ezekiel Elliot’s ongoing holdout to force a new contract with the Dallas Cowboys. Other recent holdouts include RB Le’Veon Bell, who skipped the entire 2018 season and forced a trade to a new team, and CB Chris Harris Jr who demanded and received a restructured contract with the Denver Broncos.
The Price of Gridiron Glory
If it wasn’t clear that player safety needs aren’t being met, or that players are going to demand more money with the next CBA, look at Andrew Luck.
This past Saturday ESPN insider Adam Schefter announced that the Indianapolis Colts franchise QB was retiring at the age of 29 after playing only six seasons. The first overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft, who notably missed all of the 2017 season due to shoulder surgery, Luck decided to call it quits and leave over $58 million on the table after suffering numerous injuries. In a post-game interview, Luck told the media that he was stuck in a cycle of “injury-pain-rehab” and with no end in sight he decided it was best to walk away from football. A player of his caliber retiring like this is near unprecedented and speaks volumes to the current state of the NFL. Andrew Luck wasn’t underpaid either. With a 2019 salary of $24.8 million (which the Colts will still pay him), he was set to be the seventh-highest paid QB in the league, more than six-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady.
Money doesn’t solve everything
But even if the owners wanted to give every super-star a giant contract, they can’t because of the salary cap, which is ironically in place to force more competition between teams and give smaller markets a better chance at landing top free agents who (guess what) usually pick the teams who offer the most money. The cap isn’t going anywhere (although it may be raised), so do players have to just accept that and just play for teams with the best chance of winning the February Finale?
Nope. It still isn’t enough. Look no further than former Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski. A three-time Super Bowl champion and sixth-best paid tight end in the league last season, Gronk has also been plagued by injuries (notably his back) and decided to call it quits after winning Super Bowl LIII. He, like Luck, was 29 at the time of his retirement. Gronk played for New England his whole career, beginning in 2010. In those nine seasons, the Foxborough powerhouse racked up 113 wins, almost 20 more than the next-best team (Pittsburgh) and oh yeah, they went to five Super Bowls and won three of them. All of that success and winning wasn’t enough to convince Gronk to stay in the game. Why?
“I got done with the game and I could barely walk,” he said. “I slept five minutes that night. I couldn’t even think. I was in tears in my bed after a Super Bowl victory. It didn’t make that much sense to me. And then, for four weeks, I couldn’t even sleep for more than 20 minutes a night. I was like, ‘Damn, this sucks.’ It didn’t feel good.” – Gronkowski
The above quote is from an article by Schefter, in which Gronk explains how devastating the game can be. Today the tight end announced that he will be advocating for CBD (a cannabis product) to be allowed for professional athletes as it has provided significant relief for him since his retirement.
The Current NFL Season Format
As it stands today, NFL training camps begin in early August with dozens of players fighting for spots on each team’s 53-man roster (or the 10-man practice squad). Players not currently under contract are constantly trying to impress coaches and GMs, hoping to either make the final cut for their current team or potentially another team. During training camp teams also participate in four preseason games (five if your team is selected to play the annual Hall of Fame game). After these four games, teams must make their final roster and practice squad selections.
The regular season consists of 16 games across a 17-week schedule, with each team having one bye week (i.e. they do not play a game). 12 of the 32 teams then compete in the playoffs, which include the Wild Card, Division, and Conference rounds leading up to the Super Bowl. The playoffs occur over a five-week period, with one week in-between the conference championships and the Super Bowl for the annual Pro Bowl.
Altogether, each NFL team plays a minimum of 20 games every season, with a possible maximum of 25 games for a Super Bowl winner (including the HoF game and Wild Card round). This is compared to the 12 regular-season games that college football plays, plus a potential conference championship game and 1-2 bowl games for a maximum of 15 games for a national title contender.
So what are the issues?
We’ll begin with the players’ perspective. The preseason games, in particular, are a sore spot. Perennial starters generally play very little of those games in order to avoid injury (and to showcase newer players competing for a roster spot). Many feel that it is unnecessarily long.
The regular season is also long. 17 weeks just to get to the playoffs is pretty hefty, and with only one bye week players are darn near exhausted by the end of December. College players are usually privy to two bye weeks depending on their level of play (plus time off before the bowl games for final exams).
Finally, as already mentioned, many players feel underpaid considering they are the best in the world at what they do and the risks they undertake for the team owners who employ them.
Speaking of the owners, they are also unhappy with the length of the preseason. Despite being televised (and attended) matchups just like the regular season, they are not as popular and do not bring in the same amount of revenue. They would rather cut down the number of preseason games, probably to two, and instead play 17 or 18 regular-season games. A large number of players are vehemently opposed to that idea unless they get paid significantly more, and some are still not on board given the additional risk of injury.
What can we expect in the 2021 CBA?
The salary cap isn’t going anywhere. It is a common tool employed by most major North American sports associations, with the notable exception of Major League Baseball who instead uses a (ineffective) luxury tax to drive competition between markets. Instead, I would look to a heavy reworking and potential removal of the franchise and transition tags. These are special designations that teams may apply to a single player who has become a free agent in order to retain them for another year. The tags guarantee a high salary for said player, usually the average of the five highest-paid players at their position. Teams and players alike have grievances with the tags, either because of the high cost to use them or the inability to leave a team at the time of their choosing.
Regarding the season structure, one possible solution is reducing the number of preseason games (something both sides already agree on) in exchange for an additional round of playoff games. This is attractive to players, as adding another two (or more) teams to the postseason gives them a better chance at winning it all.
Expanded rosters are also on the table. Adding even two or three spots to the current maximum would give teams more flexibility to rest injured players without placing them on the injured reserve list. It would also reduce the risk of injury by decreasing a player’s workload. For non-skilled positions that often have little to no depth in order to accommodate a range of backs and receivers, this would be a welcome sight.
What does this mean for 2019?
Probably nothing. The current CBA will still be in effect next season so it would be unwise for a player to take drastic actions now in hopes of effecting change. Nothing can be done about the schedule, and little can be done about individual contract negotiations. The only option players have is to holdout like Elliot. Bell’s holdout can be considered a success in that he was traded to a new team, but also a failure in that his original team did not pay him what he considered a satisfactory amount. The risk of any holdout is the tight financial position it puts a team in, not only for the current season but potentially upcoming ones as well, so many teams are willing to call a player’s bluff and replace them with a less talented but considerably cheaper option.
In short, expect business-as-usual this fall. But keep in mind that come 2021 the league may look considerably different as players push for more safety measures, more benefits, and more money.
What do you think is going to happen in the next CBA? How do you feel about player holdouts? The salary cap? Let me know your thoughts below! As always, special thanks to ESPN and Pro-Football-Reference for all statistics. Please follow me on Twitter @AdamNelson22_ to never miss a piece from Let’s Talk Sports!
More of my thoughts on Player Safety and Compensation
Former Offensive Lineman Rich Ohrnberger’s Thoughts on Health and Retirement in the NFL
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