IT’S A DONE DEAL, BUT JUST BARELY
NFL players narrowly vote to accept new contract, but bad feelings remain
By narrowly approving a new collective-bargaining agreement with NFL owners, players punted any potential labour unrest at least 11 years down the road.
But unrest within their own ranks? That’s going to continue.
The vote was 1,019-959 — or 51.5 per cent in favour, 48.5 per cent against. Yes, super close: 60 votes apart.
The result means either a player strike or owner lockout has been contractually avoided in the NFL through this decade, as the 439-page CBA governs league activity from 2020-30, and there is no opt-out for either side.
More than anything, owners had sought from players the right to expand the regular-season schedule to 17 games per team, from 16, with no additional byes. The pre-season schedule would be reduced to three games from four.
That’s now a go, but the earliest this could happen, by agreement, is 2021.
Playoff expansion — adding another team per conference to 14 teams total — begins immediately. Only one team per conference will get a firstround bye, with the six other playoff qualifiers per conference playing in three games over a now deliciously packed wild-card weekend.
To get players on board for regular-season expansion, owners offered a slew of concessions. But some labour and legal experts, as well as some union player vice-presidents, howled that the NFLPA should have got much more from owners in exchange for a 17th game.
Top-item owner concessions are listed below.
“We are pleased that the players have voted to ratify the proposed new CBA,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement, “which will provide substantial benefits to all current and retired players, increase jobs, ensure continued progress on player safety and give our fans more and better football.
“We appreciate the tireless efforts of the members of the management council executive committee and the NFLPA leadership, both of whom devoted nearly a year to detailed, goodfaith negotiations to reach this comprehensive, transformative agreement.”
Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Sam Acho, an NFLPA vice-president and unsuccessful candidate to replace outgoing union president Eric Winston, had lobbied players in favour of passage. He quickly posted a post-vote video to social media.
“(It) was a very contentious vote,” Acho said in the video. “So no matter what side you stood on, right now is the time for us to come together, find the weak points in this deal, and work to make them stronger.
“For the fans, this means that football will be played. It’s effectively an 11-year deal. So that means that there’s going to be labour peace for the next 11 years.
“Now, for the former, current and future players, this deal was done with you in mind. Did we get everything we asked for?
No. Did we get everything we wanted? No. But we pushed. And we will keep on pushing for years to come.”
Players who opposed the deal took to Twitter to vent their anger.
“Trash, freaking trash,” said Chicago Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson.
Owners were impatient to get players on board quickly this off-season, so as to approach TV networks with maximum leverage in negotiations for new contracts.
Current contracts expire by 2022. In the NFL, Tv-rights revenues dwarf all others.
The close vote by the NFLPA aptly reflects fractured player opinion.
Owner concessions to players include:
■ Expanding rosters to 55 from 53 and game-day active rosters to 48 from 46.
■ Increasing the players’ portion of shareable revenues to 48.5 per cent from 47, amounting to an expected Us$5-billion bump over the life of the new deal.
■ Hiking minimum rookie salaries to $610,000 from $510,000 in 2020, then rising annually up to $1.1 million in 2030. Similarly, players with years of experience slotted at one, two, three, fourto-six and seven-plus will see their minimum salaries increase from a range of $675,000 to $1.05 million in 2020, to $1.19 million to $1.48 million in 2030.
■ Improving and expanding benefits to active and retired players alike.
■ Eliminating marijuana-related suspensions.
■ Diluting the power of the commissioner as arbitrator in matters of player discipline.
Before the vote was announced, perennially embattled NFLPA executive director Demaurice Smith released an open letter to his membership. He struck a conciliatory tone after the divisive vote, in which militant players on both sides went public with their arguments.
“Passionate opinions are a part of any democratic process, and one of the core missions of our union is to increase the democratic involvement of our members,” Smith wrote. “The past several weeks proved that we have fulfilled that mission thanks to your participation.
“We are a diverse membership with varying points of view; relatedly, there will always be issues that are more or less important to some members than others.”
Player-reaction tweets indeed were all over the map.
Tweeted quarterback Tom Brady: “Well done, De(maurice).”
Conversely, in response to running back C.J. Anderson tweeting, “So did the owners win?” cornerback Richard Sherman tweeted, “Yes, a lot to a little.”
Replied Anderson: “I thought so but hey I’m just ya’ avg RB trying to make life better for us. I’ll continue to grind.”
Newly elected NFLPA president J.C. Tretter, the Cleveland Browns’ starting centre, released a statement that read, in part:
“We understand and know that players have been split on this deal, including members of our (executive council). Going forward, it is our duty to lead, however we may feel as individuals.”