San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman said on Friday that there are still "huge outstanding issues" that remain unresolved before players can even consider returning to work. Training camps are scheduled to begin later this month. Sherman said the NFLPA had sent a response to the league on Friday, and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network has some of the details from that counterproposal.
That proposal from the NFL that 35 percent of player salaries be placed into escrow to help manage the potential losses from the upcoming season? Yeah, players don't want that. They had already made that clear.
The NFLPA also requested that the $198.2 million salary cap doesn't see a drop next offseason, which might be difficult to promise with the COVID-19 pandemic threatening to shorten or even cancel the upcoming season while impacting revenue. That would certainly be better than the significant drop that some have been forecasting.
The players union proposes that the league spreads any revenue losses over nine years, starting in 2022, lessening the impact on any one season.
The players also want any guaranteed money in player contracts to be paid out even if games are canceled.
One thing is a near certainty. The salary cap won't be seeing the significant jump in 2021 that was expected as recently as early March. That could leave the 49ers with some difficult decisions next season. The team gave new contracts to defensive lineman Arik Armstead and safety Jimmie Ward and still has others in the pipeline, like tight end George Kittle and newly acquired offensive tackle Trent Williams.
Many others, like defensive backs Richard Sherman, Jaquiski Tartt, and Ahkello Witherspoon, along with fullback Kyle Juszczyk and wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, are also scheduled to hit free agency.
The NFLPA sent the NFL an economic counterproposal, per sources:
- No escrow of 2020 salaries
- Flat salary cap of $198.2M for 2021
- Spread revenue loss this year over 2022-2030 caps
- All fully guaranteed money paid even if games are canceledCall scheduled for Monday.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 11, 2020
Another facet of the NFLPA's counterproposal: Players would be paid a "COVID-19 risk stipend" of up to $500,000 if games are canceled, per sources. Exact figure would depend on when cancellation occurs, among other factors.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 11, 2020
The NFL and NFLPA are on the same page that they don't want the salary cap to plummet in 2021. It's about how they account for a multibillion-dollar revenue loss. NFL proposed 35% of player salaries in escrow; NFLPA doesn't want one year of players to take the whole hit.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 11, 2020