The NFL and NFL Players Association have yet to come to an agreement on how the coronavirus pandemic will impact player salaries, and the offseason could be in danger of having a significant interruption if the issues are not resolved soon.
NFL owners want an agreement in place by Sunday, which is when the Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans are expected to report to training camp. The biggest issue is what the salary cap will look like next season, with the league reportedly seeking a $10 million reduction and players wanting to spread the financial hit out through 2030. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the NFL could inform teams that virtual workouts will continue indefinitely if an agreement is not in place by this weekend.
What happens if there’s no deal by Sunday? The CBA contains a no strike/lockout/suit clause. But with no camp schedule agreed to, the NFL could potentially inform clubs that virtual work will continue indefinitely. A big few days ahead. https://t.co/z523QK73CR
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 23, 2020
Mark Maske of the Washington Post believes that would be the best-case scenario if no deal is in place. According to Mas-ke’s sources, team owners have not ruled out shutting down training camp altogether.
NFL owners might be willing to shut down training camps if there's no deal with the NFLPA on economics, source says: "They could very well shut down the camps and send players home." Story coming on https://t.co/GXHkX9kbHu. Owners might do more than just making camps virtual.
— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) July 23, 2020
The owners' position that camps could be made virtual without a deal on economics with the NFLPA was first reported by @TomPelissero. But it could be a total shutdown, barring an agreement. The CBA does have a no-lockout, no-strike pledge.
— MarkMaske (@MarkMaske) July 23, 2020
Deadlines are both useful and necessary in labor negotiations, so the information Maske received may have been leaked from the NFL in an attempt to put pressure on the NFLPA. The two sides are on the same page with health and safety protocols, leaving the salary cap as the biggest hurdle.
The NFL has been adamant about proceeding with its offseason as scheduled and beginning the regular season on time, so it still seems likely that an agreement will be reached before Sunday.