NFL league year will start on time

NEW YORK: The league reportedly sent a memo to all 32 teams confirming the schedule will not be changed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The news comes following reports earlier Sunday that there was a change of heart among people around the NFL, many of whom initially expected the league year to be delayed. The league and the NFL Players Association reportedly had talks earlier Sunday about the possibility.

With the approval of the new collective bargaining agreement on Saturday night, players would have had to sign off on any changes to the scheduled start of

the league year. Delaying the start would have put free agency on hold and perhaps pushed back the draft, which is currently scheduled for April 23-25 in Las Vegas.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the NFL said the NFLPA would not provide consent to delay the league year.

However, the decision might not yet be set in stone. Pro Football Talk and The Athletic each reported late Sunday night that the NFL and NFLPA will resume discussions on Monday morning. A separate ESPN report said “there is a continued (and even growing) sentiment in league circles that (free agency will) still be curtailed.”

The point of no return is rapidly approaching. The last chance for teams to use either their franchise or transition tag on pending free agents is currently set for 11:59 a.m. on Monday, one minute before the start of the legal tampering period. That period allows agents to

speak to other teams about their clients and negotiate contracts, starting at noon ET today and running until free agency officially begins at 4 pm ET tomorrow.

Deals can become official on Wednesday, as can any trades previously agreed upon, but some have concerns about conducting physicals with players in order to finalize deals.

Multiple teams have shut down facilities and ordered employees to work from home, including the Cincinnati Bengals, amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Bengals have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft.

Saints head coach Sean Payton said during an interview Saturday that he expected the start of the league year to be pushed back.

The CBA, approved by a narrow vote from NFL players, creates an immediate impact for teams that had hoped to use the franchise tag and transition tag. The new CBA allows teams to use one of the

tags, but not both.

Among teams impacted by the change are the Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans. Dallas is attempting to retain marquee offensive players, including quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver Amari Cooper, and the Titans are in limbo with running back Derrick Henry and right tackle Jack Conklin set to hit free agency. According to reports Sunday morning, the Titans are preparing a “big” contract offer to Henry.

The Titans reportedly agreed to terms with quarterback Ryan Tannehill on a long-term contract Sunday. While they did not release terms, multiple outlets reported it’s a four-year deal worth $118 million, with $62 million fully guaranteed.

Meanwhile, draft prospect visits to NFL teams, who typically are allowed to host 30 players between the end of the NFL Scouting Combine and mid-April, are prohibited by the NFL. Instead the

league ordered teams to conduct video or telephone interviews with draft-eligible players until further notice.

If the league year were to be delayed, several major roster bonuses would be pushed back with it. The largest, according to NFL Network are: Rams QB Jared Goff - $21 million Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger $12.5 million

Jets MLB CJ Mosley - $10 million Packers OLB Za’Darius Smith - $9 million

Eagles QB Carson Wentz - $8 million Rams RB Todd Gurley - $7.55 million (and a $5.5 million base salary guarantee)

Bears CB Kyle Fuller - $7.5 million Lions QB Matthew Stafford - $6 million

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers - $5.24 million

Vikings WR Adam Thielen - $5 million. —Reuters