NFL labor talks could include 18-game season, more playoff teams, new marijuana policy

[Don Corleone 60,141]

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As representatives of the NFL and the players’ union prepare to intensify negotiations on a new labor deal, some team owners favor revisiting the possibility of an 18-game regular season or an expanded playoff field. In exchange for securing an agreement from the players on the issue, many owners seem willing to make concessions on the commissioner’s disciplinary authority and the sport’s marijuana policy.

The views of owners toward the negotiations were described by several owners, high-ranking team officials and others familiar with the league’s inner workings at last week’s meeting of the owners in Key Biscayne, Fla. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide frank characterizations of the owners’ approach to the bargaining with the NFL Players Association, at a sensitive time when the deliberations could be about to become more serious.

The current collective bargaining agreement between the league and the NFLPA expires following the 2020 season, and union leaders have warned players and their agents to be prepared for a potential work stoppage. Owners locked out players before the two sides struck a 10-year labor agreement in 2011.

But the league and union recently have begun to forge a more cooperative relationship after years of combativeness. The NFL and NFLPA announced last week they were forming a joint committee that will study the prospective use of marijuana by players as a pain-management tool. That spirit of cooperation has sparked hopes within the sport that a new labor deal could be struck in advance of the expiration of this CBA and avoid a work stoppage.

"I do hope it’s sooner rather than later,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said at the conclusion of last week’s owners’ meeting. "I think there’s great value to all parties, and most importantly our fans, that we get this issue resolved and move forward. But there are important issues to be addressed. And we’re doing that.”

Goodell said then that there had been two formal bargaining sessions. According to others familiar with the situation, most of the work so far has been done by staffers, and any increase in the direct involvement by owners and players in the negotiating sessions between now and year’s end perhaps could signal that an agreement is within reach.

The central issue of the bargaining, as always, will be the league and union agreeing to a mutually acceptable division of the sport’s revenue, now estimated to be about $15 billion per year and growing, under the salary cap system. But with both sides thriving economically — the salary cap has increased by at least $10 million for six straight years and is up 40 percent since 2014, to $188.2 million per team for the 2019 season — it seems increasingly unlikely that the core economic issues will present major negotiating obstacles.

On other issues, there could be a series of trade-offs.

During the last set of labor negotiations, owners proposed lengthening the regular season from 16 to 18 games per team. The union objected vehemently on the ground of player safety. The league abandoned the proposal and said that, while it remained interested in such an arrangement, it would never lengthen the regular season without the players’ approval.

Some owners want to revisit that topic during these negotiations, several people familiar with the views of those owners said last week. It was not clear how many owners want an 18-game season or how hard they would push on the issue if the players remain firmly opposed. But those owners believe the additional regular season games would generate a significant revenue boost and perhaps could be made more palatable to the players by offering a reduction in preseason games, an increase in roster sizes and possibly other concessions.

A potential revenue-boosting alternative to the 18-game season, to some owners, would be increasing the NFL’s playoff field from 12 to 14 teams. Seven teams in each conference would qualify for the postseason instead of six. There would be one team in each conference given a first-round playoff bye instead of two. So there would be six opening-round postseason games leaguewide instead of four.

The owners appeared on the verge of implementing the expanded playoffs for the 2015 season. But it didn’t happen, instead being set aside for possible consideration in these CBA negotiations and in the deliberations over the sport’s next TV contracts. Some owners might have concerns about allowing 14 of the 32 teams into the playoffs, but the NFLPA might find the expanded playoffs preferable to a longer regular season.

"If you really want to boost the revenue, I’d say you might need one or the other,” one person familiar with the views of the owners said last week, referring to the 18-game season or the expanded playoffs.

That person and others said that many owners would have little problem making concessions to the union when it comes to Goodell’s authority in player discipline. Those on the players’ side regularly have objected to Goodell being empowered to both make disciplinary rulings and resolve appeals of those rulings, and the NFLPA went to federal court in disciplinary cases involving New England Patriots quarterback Tom Bradyand Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott. Initial courtroom victories by the union in those cases were overturned on appeal, reinforcing Goodell’s authority.

Some of those within the sport say that Goodell is open to having the commissioner’s authority reduced in cases of off-field misbehavior by players, but is adamant that the commissioner’s disciplinary authority should not be curbed in matters that affect the integrity of the game, such as the Deflategate case that led to Brady’s four-game suspension.

The league already has opened the possibility, through the formation of the pain management committee, to allowing players to use marijuana for pain. But some owners would be receptive to further changes in the marijuana policy, according to those with knowledge of the league’s inner workings. It’s possible those changes could come within the context of the CBA negotiations, although the league and union also make frequent modifications to their jointly administered drug policies outside the framework of CBA talks.

The likelihood of the two sides avoiding another labor confrontation in 2021 will be determined when they begin tackling the central issues in the negotiations, perhaps in the coming months. In the meantime, union leaders such as DeMaurice Smith, the NFLPA’s executive director, and Eric Winston, the union’s president, have told players to be prepared financially for the possibility of being locked out again.

"They have to know what they’re up against,” Winston said during Super Bowl week. "They have to know what’s coming. They have to understand, just like in a game, the tactics that are going to be used against them and have to fight against it. … I will say I think every player is going to believe us when we say you’re going to get locked out.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/05/29/nfl-owners-want-more-games-or-playoff-teams-new-labor-deal-could-concede-marijuana/?utm_term=.790a02839746

[Dawkins 20 10,055]

A 14 team playoff format would work well. I like the idea of only the #1 seed getting a bye. 

I wouldn't want to push it any higher than 14 teams though. No need to get into the NBA/NHL territory where too many teams make the playoffs. 

[mike030270 14,283]

Usually 1 or 2 teams miss the playoffs due to the seeding but should have made it

[SBorBust 3,544]

I think the current playoff format is perfect, but I understand why they would want to expand it.

[paco 27,779]

Please don't expand it. Look how watered down the nba is. The first round is a snore

[EagleJoe8 14,446]

2 hours ago, paco said:

Please don't expand it. Look how watered down the nba is. The first round is a snore

Pretty much my thoughts. Keep the field size as is. The only change I’d make if I had to make a change, is I’d make the playoff fields from the top 6 team records period, which could create the possibility that on rare occasions, even a division winner may not get in. 

But preferably, I’d keep everything as is. 

[paco 27,779]

Or keep it as it is, but seed by record.  It feels like every year we have an inferior team or two hosting a playoff game by virtue of their weak division.  

[Prime 2,575]

I'd be happy with an 18 game season with an extra bye and expanded rosters.

[VaBeach_Eagle 27,265]

I wouldn't mind 18 games. Don't really want more playoff teams, though.

[EagleJoe8 14,446]

37 minutes ago, paco said:

Or keep it as it is, but seed by record.  It feels like every year we have an inferior team or two hosting a playoff game by virtue of their weak division.  

I’m actually ok with not doing that. Since I prefer to keep things the same, I’m fine with division winners getting rewarded with a home game. But if a change is made and a team wins a weak division but still manages a piss poor record, I think the argument should go all the way to not letting them in at all. 

[downundermike 17,644]

Adding one more playoff team would have gotten the 9-6-1 Steelers and the 8-7-1 Vikings in last year.  I don't think either of those teams are playoff worthy.

[Prime 2,575]

11 minutes ago, VaBeach_Eagle said:

I wouldn't mind 18 games. Don't really want more playoff teams, though.

That's where my head is. Though, imo, 2 bye weeks is a must for an 18 game season. And as much as expanding rosters might have people worried about watering down the product, It's not like there'd be this jump from 53 to 90.

I'm thinking more 7-10 extra guys.

[VaBeach_Eagle 27,265]

1 minute ago, Prime said:

That's where my head is. Though, imo, 2 bye weeks is a must for an 18 game season. And as much as expanding rosters might have people worried about watering down the product, It's not like There's be this jump from 53 to 90.

I'm thinking more 7-10 extra guys.

Just make the PS part of the full roster and allow all 63 to be active on gameday.

[Prime 2,575]

Just now, VaBeach_Eagle said:

Just make the PS part of the full roster and allow all 63 to be active on gameday.

...and still have a 10 player practice squad of players 64-73?

I'm in.

 

[VaBeach_Eagle 27,265]

3 minutes ago, Prime said:

...and still have a 10 player practice squad of players 64-73?

I'm in.

I could go along with that.

[Prime 2,575]

2 minutes ago, VaBeach_Eagle said:

I could go along with that.

This is the part where we spit on our hand, shake, and call Adam Sheffter.

[UK_EaglesFan89 12,290]

Fingers crossed they can come to some sort of arrangement! We don't want to be without football. 

[TV Guy 14,602]

If they expand to 18 games, does that mean Dallas will suck by an increase of 12.5%?

[bwestbrook36 7,471]

The 18 game season always comes up and gets shot down. It's just to many games for these guys. 16 games is hard enough for these guys to get through. 

[EagleJoe8 14,446]

1 hour ago, TV Guy said:

If they expand to 18 games, does that mean Dallas will suck by an increase of 12.5%?

Dallas sucktitude never increases by less than a factor of 100.

[EagleJoe8 14,446]

35 minutes ago, bwestbrook36 said:

The 18 game season always comes up and gets shot down. It's just to many games for these guys. 16 games is hard enough for these guys to get through. 

True, but I think it would come with conditions like a 2nd bye week, and increased roster sizes.

Personally, I think it should stay at 16. It just works well the way the rotations are set up.

[VaBeach_Eagle 27,265]

2 hours ago, UK_EaglesFan89 said:

Fingers crossed they can come to some sort of arrangement! We don't want to be without football. 

There's been five work stoppages in my lifetime, so far. Only three of which I remember. Two strikes and one lockout.

Personally, I'm hoping they have an other one and the owners do like they did in 1987. I plan on trying out for the Eagles Scab team.

 

41 minutes ago, bwestbrook36 said:

The 18 game season always comes up and gets shot down. It's just to many games for these guys. 16 games is hard enough for these guys to get through. 

If the Owners really want it, they can just make it a condition for something that the players really want. Plus, it would mean more money for the players and potentially, longer careers for some if the roster is expanded. If done right, both sides would win.

[downundermike 17,644]

1 hour ago, VaBeach_Eagle said:

If the Owners really want it, they can just make it a condition for something that the players really want. like smoking the chronic, then they will have no problem passing it.

FYP

[bwestbrook36 7,471]

1 hour ago, VaBeach_Eagle said:

There's been five work stoppages in my lifetime, so far. Only three of which I remember. Two strikes and one lockout.

Personally, I'm hoping they have an other one and the owners do like they did in 1987. I plan on trying out for the Eagles Scab team.

 

If the Owners really want it, they can just make it a condition for something that the players really want. Plus, it would mean more money for the players and potentially, longer careers for some if the roster is expanded. If done right, both sides would win.

Isn't it always the players that won't agree to it though?

[UK_EaglesFan89 12,290]

10 hours ago, VaBeach_Eagle said:

There's been five work stoppages in my lifetime, so far. Only three of which I remember. Two strikes and one lockout.

Personally, I'm hoping they have an other one and the owners do like they did in 1987. I plan on trying out for the Eagles Scab team.

So what happened in 1987 bud?