What Does the Proposed CBA Say About International Games, and Could This Impact the Jaguars?
NFL players are set to finalize their votes for or against the newly proposed collective bargaining agreement between the league's owners and the NFL Players Association in the coming days, and in doing so they will be making decisions on an abundance of issues.
From a proposed 17-game regular season, to an expanded postseason, to improved minimum salaries, there is no shortage of items for players to gloss over in the proposed CBA.
But one item in the CBA that has gone a bit under the radar is the future of international games played by NFL teams if this CBA passes the simple majority player vote. The NFL has played games annually in London since 2007 and has played games in Mexico in recent years.
With the Jacksonville Jaguars' prescence overseas and the team's contract with the league office to play games in London expiring after this season, it is worth noting what the language indicates about how teams could function in international games moving forward. The Jaguars are currently slated to play two home games in London in 2020, and have played one game in London annually since 2013.
So, what does the currently proposed CBA say about international games and what could it mean for the Jaguars moving forward? Below is the exact language included in the proposal, as well as our interpretation of what it could mean for the Jaguars.
1) In any League Year in which the NFL regular season consists of seventeen games, the extra week shall not consist entirely of international games.
This doesn't really impact the Jaguars much, if at all. They typically schedule their London games around the Florida/Georgia game each year, which means the vast majority of their London games have been in late October or early November. This line just states that in an expanded regular season, every team would not be forced to play an international game in the additional week.
2) Through the 2025 season, no more than ten regular season international games will be played each season unless a Club is displaced from its existing stadium due to damage, other force majeure events, construction or renovation.
The most international games that have ever been played in one season is five, with four in London and one in Mexico in 2017 and 2019. This line is a bit of a strange one because ten international games in one regular season seem astronomical, but it does include language that would allow for a team to play more of their games overseas if they are undergoing construction or renovation for their stadium, leaving a door open for teams to play the heavy number of games.
*Editor's note. A previous version stated this could allow teams to play each of their home games internationally, but this instead means more games than 10 in one season could be played overall if a team is displaced.
3) Prior to the start of the 2025 regular season, the parties will meet and confer regarding whether to increase the maximum number of International Games in any single regular season to more than ten (10) games in 2025 or subsequent years. Such decision may be based on underlying business justifications, including but not limited to growth in AR, club and player brand development, media and related opportunities, as well as player working conditions, health and safety, burdens on player families, insurance, housing, and/or tax-related issues, and the NFLPA’s consent shall not be unreasonably withheld.
As stated in the last point, even 10 games seems like a wildly high number of international games in one season. Increasing the cap from 10 could indicate the NFL would have an interest in expanding their presence overseas. As the language includes, there are obvious issues players could have with this due to the high taxes leveled against athletes in London and the amount of time players would have to be separated from their families in the United States.
4) Before any Club is scheduled to play 3 or more regular season international games in a season, other than for a reason set forth in the preceding paragraph, the NFL will meet and confer with the NFLPA to consider impacts to underlying business justifications and player health, safety, and working conditions, as described in Subsection (c).
This line would apply to the Jaguars if they ever wanted to play more than two games overseas in one season. The fact that there is a provision in the CBA about a team playing three or more international games in one season is noteworthy all by itself, but the rest of the line provides even more intrigue. If the Jaguars were to opt to increase their London games to three in any season, the league would have to meet with the NFLPA to determine the plausibility. Considering the stances of many players against international games, it is unlikely that a team playing three games or more outside of the United States would be popular with players or the union.
5) If any Club travels outside of North America to play a game more than once in a single regular season, any player on that Club who travels outside of North America for such games, will be paid a stipend of $5,000 for each game, beginning with the second such game. This $5,000 stipend shall be in addition to all other compensation (including per diems), which he is entitled to receive for those games. This stipend will be considered a player benefit cost.
If this CBA passes, this specific provision would apply to the Jaguars' roster in 2020 since the Jaguars are already slated to play two games in London next season. A big point of contention among players as it pertains to playing in London has to do with the money they lose to taxes when they play there. Since the game is being played in London, players are subject to their tax rules. These taxes are levied heavily against visiting athletes, resulting in fewer funds for players. By passing the CBA, it appears the NFL would be willing to make some progress to fix this by giving each player a $5,000 stipend.
So overall, this proposed CBA would allow the NFL to play 10 games or more overseas if there is any construction or renovation taking place at a team's stadium. The CBA also allows for a single team to play three or more games internationally as long as the NFLPA is in agreement. The Jaguars are currently only slated to play two games in London in 2020, and the number of games the Jaguars would play overseas past next season is undetermined.
Overall, this proposed CBA has language that would allow for more and more NFL games to be played outside the United States in the near future, but there would be a number of obstacles to hurdle in this event. How this could impact the Jaguars is undetermined due to the number of variables involved, but it is worth tracking moving forward.
NFL players in the union have until 11:59 p.m. on Saturday to vote on the CBA. For the proposal to pass, it would need a simple majority to vote on favor of it.
