NFLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement Positions

This coming season is an uncapped year for the NFL.  This is because the owner decided to void the last couple years of the collective bargaining agreement it had with the NFLPA.  It was the right of the owners to do so, but the union was happy with the agreement and was offering to extend it six more years.  After the 2010 season, there will be no football unless the two sides agree on a new CBA. 

Extending the NFL Seasons to 18 Games

The NFL has been discussing about extending the regular season to 18 games by eliminating two preseason games. The union hasn't said no to this but has some issues it needs to work out. It really comes down to tenure. Right now a person that is in the league for 3 years receives 5 years of health benefits. By extending the season, a three year player will be playing more 6 more games over that time frame. That means a player that retires after 9 years would have actually played 10 16-game seasons. This is a sticking point with the union.

Rookie Salary Cap

The union isn't really against capping rookies' salary. Over a year ago they made a proposal to take money out of the rookie salary pool. The proposal was to remove $200 million for the rookie salary pool and put $100 million toward proven veterans and the other $100 million toward retired players. The owners, who are typically upset about the amount they have to pay unproven players, rejected the proposal.