No one wants to see another NFL lockout. San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman hasn't sounded too optimistic about the progress of the negotiations for a new NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). He has even accused the league of using the media to paint a false picture of the progress, which he believes is nowhere close to what the NFL is reporting.
One member of the media, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, provided some details of what could be a new CBA.
"[The NFLPA] were pretty mum about where things stand," Rapoport said, "but from what I understand, things are going pretty well. There has been progress. There has been significant progress. Both sides are optimistic about getting something done sooner rather than later."
Below are some of those details that might be part of a new agreement, according to Rapoport.
- The new CBA would be a 10-year extension of the current deal.
- The NFL schedule could potentially increase to a 17-game season for each team, which would begin in 2022.
- The new CBA would include added benefits for current and retired players.
- The NFL's minimum salary would see an increase.
Added Rapoport: "We have some details, but we don't have a deal, quite yet."
From Super Bowl Live: Progress is being made on the new 10-year extension for a CBA, and optimism abounds. pic.twitter.com/fxH7Eprezi
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 1, 2020
Sherman, an NFLPA vice president, was asked this week about the potential of a switch to a 17-game season for each NFL team.
"I think it's just speculation, at this point," Sherman said. "I think it's the owners using the media, the way owners use the media to try to control the rhetoric. I don't think it's something that players are interested in, honestly, and if that's the point they are negotiating on, I think these negotiations are going to go a lot longer than anticipated.
"It's odd to me, and it's always odd when you hear player safety is their biggest concern, and they're really standing up for player safety. Player safety, player safety. But it seems like player safety has a price tag. Player safety up to the point of, 'Hey, 17 games makes us this much money, so we really don't care how safe they are if you're going to pay us this much money to play another game.'
"That's the part that's really concerning for us as a union and us as players because they think that players have a price tag on their health and I don't think we're in the same ballpark in that regard."
H/t to Patrick Tulini for the find.