Game On! NFL, NFLPA Reach Agreement to Start Training Camp, Season Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
The NFL and NFL Players' Association agreed on revisions to the Collective Bargaining Agreement for the 2020 season amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on Friday, according to a statement released by the NFLPA Board of Representatives.
Owners and NFLPA player representatives voted in favor of a set of proposed changes to the CBA that passed back in March to better adjust the quarantine's current circumstances. The new agreement will permit training camp to commence when veteran players report on July 28 as originally scheduled.
Although some NFL clubs have already begun welcoming their rookies in for the mandatory COVID-19 testing, which encompasses two tests spread over five days, there were several financial and operational details that the two sides still needed to resolve, details which have now been agreed to.
Financially, the league will spread the impact of any 2020 revenue shortfall due to the pandemic over four years beginning in 2021. The salary cap will be at least $175 million in 2021, while the 2020 cap of $198.2 million remains unchanged.
The two sides were able to reach an agreement after owners raised the minimum cap for 2021 from $165 million to $175 million and dropped their request for an $8 million reduction in the cap for 2020, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
If financial losses are not as significant as anticipated, the cap will be higher in 2021 than $175 million. Setting a floor provides clubs with a baseline with which they can plan financially.
Training camps will be comprised of a 20-days ramp-up period with a maximum of 14 padded practices. As has been widely reported already, there will be no preseason games played.
Players will also have the option of high-risk and general opt-outs of participation due to the pandemic. The deadline for opt-outs is yet to be determined, but those who are deemed high-risk for the virus will receive a $350,000 stipend if they are opt-out, while those who aren't considered high-risk will receive a $150,000 stipend.
The agreement also confirmed that teams would need to reduce their 90-man training camp rosters to 80 men. Teams may begin making cuts now, but they have until Aug. 16 to complete that process.
The new deal also allows for teams to carry 16 players on their practice squads. According to the Washington Post, teams may protect four players per week from being poached by other teams, and six members of the practice squad can have an unlimited number of accrued seasons.
The league will account for financial losses by spreading the impact of any 2020 revenue shortfall due to the pandemic over four years beginning in 2021.
The current $198 million salary cap for the 2020 season will not be affected, which means general managers won't have to scramble to get under a new cap. Meanwhile, the owners increased the minimum salary cap floor in 2021 from $165 million to $175 million.
If financial losses are not as significant as anticipated, the 2021 cap will be higher than $175 million. Still, the point in setting the $175 million floor is to help general managers plan for the future.
In a written statement, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reiterated his hope that the league will be able to get a full season ending with the Super Bowl despite the number of positive COVID-19 cases continuing to spike in some regions of the country.
"We have worked collaboratively to develop a comprehensive set of protocols designed to minimize risk for fans, players, and club and league personnel," the commissioner said.
"These plans have been guided by the medical directors of the NFL and the NFLPA and have been reviewed and endorsed by independent medical and public health experts, including the CDC, and many state and local public health officials.
"The season will undoubtedly present new and additional challenges, but we are committed to playing a safe and complete 2020 season, culminating with the Super Bowl."
