It's been over six years since the NFL had to deal with a work stoppage of any sort, and unfortunately for the league, that's a streak that could be coming to an end soon, according to DeMaurice Smith.
Smith, who serves as the executive director of the NFLPA, believes there's going to be a work stoppage after the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) expires following the 2020 season.
"I think the likelihood of either a strike or a lockout in [2021] is almost a virtual certainty," Smith said this week during an interview with MMQB.com.
The last time the NFL had to cancel games due to a work stoppage came in 1987. This time around, Smith isn't quite sure yet if a work stoppage would lead to any canceled games, but he didn't sound optimistic.
"I don't know. Let's look at our history," Smith said.
The problem with negotiating a new CBA is that it sounds like the players don't really trust the owners right now.
"The owners do a deal in 2006 and opt out in 2008. We do a deal in 2011 with no opt outs because we like the benefits under the current deal and we didn't want to give the owners an opportunity to opt out and take back the games that we currently have," Smith said. "If there was no renegotiating of the collective bargaining agreement and we reach 2021, there is no uncapped year. The last time we went through it, we found out that the owners lied and cheated about the uncapped year, so why would I do that again?"
The seeds for the 2011 lockout were planted in 2008 when the NFL's 32 owners voted to opt out of a CBA that was supposed to run through 2012. When the league opted out, that meant an early end to the 2006 CBA agreement and left the league with an uncapped salary year in 2010.
According to Smith, the owners "colluded with each other" so that the players wouldn't be able to take advantage of the uncapped year.
"All the mutual benefits that were supposed to happened as result of the opt out didn't happen last time," Smith said. "Owners colluded with each other and we found out that they colluded with each other. All of the bad things that went to the players happened and none of the bad things that went to the owners happened. So we have a new deal that if it doesn't get fixed, you go into a certain Armageddon."
What this all means is that Smith is ready to take the NFLPA to battle with the NFL over the new CBA. The NFLPA is taking the possibility of a work stoppage so seriously that it warned players in May to start saving money.
If a work stoppage does happen, it wouldn't start for at least four more seasons. The current CBA runs through the 2020 season, which means any potential work stoppage wouldn't take place until the 2021 season. [Reply]
Originally Posted by The Franchise:
If they add a 17th game they need to increase the roster size and increase the number of active players you can have for a game.
If they add additional games 'Load Management' will be introduced to the NFL terminology. [Reply]
Originally Posted by The Franchise:
If they add a 17th game they need to increase the roster size and increase the number of active players you can have for a game.
I think increasing the active roster is a must for a 17 game regular season. They need to add a second bye week as well.
I bet that adding a 17th game will allow Goodell the ability to play 8 games in London and 8 games in Mexico City. I am against expanding the NFL to any countries other than Canada and Mexico.
Originally Posted by The Franchise:
If they add a 17th game they need to increase the roster size and increase the number of active players you can have for a game.
I think they’re going to eliminate the 46 man game day roster.
I'm okay with a 17th game and an extra bye replacing 2 meaningless preseason games. That would be a gift to season ticket holders who currently have to buy 2 worthless preseason tickets at full price. This would make them only have to pay for one. [Reply]
Originally Posted by The Franchise:
If they add a 17th game they need to increase the roster size and increase the number of active players you can have for a game.
Originally Posted by pugsnotdrugs19:
Yeah I’ve been wondering what’s gonna happen there too.
I hate the odd number, I don’t like that record books are almost certain to be completely re-written, and above all, it just doesn’t make sense for player safety.
It’d be one thing if they’re adding a bye week, that may actually be a positive. But if not, it’s just that much more of a beating for the players to endure season to season.
Having an odd number of games just makes no sense. Unless every team plays an extra game at a neutral site, half of the teams are going to get an extra home game each year. I’m guessing the NFL is going to want to schedule every team to play an extra game at an international site. An easier solution to this would be to just go ahead and let the Jaguars move there. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Spott:
Having an odd number of games just makes no sense. Unless every team plays an extra game at a neutral site, half of the teams are going to get an extra home game each year. I’m guessing the NFL is going to want to schedule every team to play an extra game at an international site. An easier solution to this would be to just go ahead and let the Jaguars move there.
You’re gonna start to see more international games. I bet we start to see games in city’s that don’t have NFL teams soon. [Reply]
Originally Posted by ShowtimeSBMVP:
You’re gonna start to see more international games. I bet we start to see games in city’s that don’t have NFL teams soon.
You mean besides Cleveland and Jacksonville?
I think that would be a good idea for preseason games, but it seems like a bad idea for regular season games. [Reply]