The new CBA between the NFL Players Association and the owners cements football into America's autumns and winters through 2021. This time, there is no opt-out clause, which allowed the owners to lockout the players from summer training camp this year.
Despite the mainstream media fail which tried to make us think that the NFLPA was just being greedy (I will repeat it ad naseum: NFL players make an average, equivalent/estimated lifetime income of $89,000/year), by and large the fans knew that the players wanted to play, and stuck by them through this process. In classy fashion, the NFLPA created this video to thank the fans:
Details of the CBA are at Sports Illustrated. The players are making slightly less, with a slightly lower salary cap and restrictions on the earnings of rookies, but by and large, there are some really major wins for the players. Key among them is extension of health coverage options to retirees, a Legacy Fund to support pensions, and more protection of players' health during practices and pre-season.
Significantly, the controversial proposal to extend the season to 18 games has been scrapped, and cannot be approved before 2021 without NFLPA approval.
Are you ready for some football? Because the players are.
Former players are still getting kinda screwed though. The health insurance extensions don't fully help them.
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