The NBA Free Agency period is in full swing and like clockwork, talks regarding the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement with the NFL Players Association are being started as well.
While mid-level players in the NBA are securing the bag to the tune of 4-years/$85M (Harrison Barnes) or 3-years/$40M (Patrick Beverly), top stars in the NFL are justified in feeling jealous.
Because of this, talks of a new CBA between the NFL and NFLPA are rumored to ramp up and intensify in July, with aims to lock down a new deal before the start of the 2019 regular season and avoid a work stoppage in the future, according to ESPN.
The current CBA is set to expire in 2020, but both sides are motivated to get a new deal done as quickly as possible. ESPN reports that as many as three or four direct owner/player negotiation sessions are scheduled for July alone.
The CBA negotiations have a tenuous past, most recently remembered by the lockout that followed talks in 2011, though the two sides were able to salvage an abbreviated season after a deal was made.
According to ESPN:
NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith recently sent a letter to player agents asking them to advise their players to save money in the event of a work stoppage, but a union source characterized that letter as part of the normal course of business — “negotiate for the best, prepare for the worst.”
The league’s future outlook hangs in the balance, determined by what deals are made and negotiations are agreed upon in the coming year. If everyone can sign off on the CBA this summer, the NFL’s 100th season will be much more enjoyable for all.
