After weeks of discussion and negotiation, the NFL and NFLPA have agreed on the foundations necessary to play in the midst of the current COVID-19 pandemic.
The two sides reached an agreement Friday afternoon after a representative vote of NFLPA players, by a 29-3 count, in favor of the proposed changes, reported NFL network informant Ian Rapoport. Therefore, the adjusted CBA has become official, and training camp will begin in earnest when the majority of veteran players arrive on July 28 as originally scheduled. The NFLPA executive committee voted unanimously to approve the changes proposed by NFL owners earlier Friday.
The agreed deal includes a 16-man practice squad allowance, high-risk participation options, and general exclusion due to the pandemic (deadline to be determined) and the absence of a preseason for 2020, Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network. reported earlier on Friday.
According to Rapoport, the training camp is made up of 20 days of an acceleration period and a maximum of 14 padded practices.
Financially, the league will extend the impact of any 2020 revenue deficits due to the pandemic for four years from 2021. The salary cap will be at least $ 175 million in 2021, while the 2020 cap of $ 198.2 million will remains unchanged. The two sides were able to reach an agreement after the owners raised the 2021 minimum limit from $ 165 million to $ 175 million and withdrew their request for a $ 8 million reduction in the limit for 2020, according to Pelissero.
In the event that financial losses are not as large as anticipated, the limit will be higher in 2021 than $ 175 million. Establishing a floor simply provides clubs with a baseline with which they can plan financially.
