NFL owners might consider halting training camps if there’s no deal on economics with players

Representatives of the NFL and the NFLPA negotiated Thursday. It’s not clear how much progress was made, but there was optimism that an agreement can be reached in the coming days. The urgency could be increased now, given the threat by owners to shut down camps or make them entirely virtual to keep players off the field. NFL Network reported Thursday that owners could limit players to remote instruction without a deal on the economic issues before Sunday.

NFLPA spokesman George Atallah wrote on Twitter: “Let me get this straight: when players wanted to wait until safety protocols finished to come in, management set reporting dates before that was all done. Now that coronavirus protocols are done, they leak a threat to shut down because they don’t have players’ money.”

The sides have been negotiating over how to deal with a potential major drop in the 2021 salary cap based on a decline in revenue during the 2020 season. Another major point in the negotiations is whether players would be paid their full salaries if the regular season began but had to be discontinued because of considerations related to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Owners have been frustrated with what they view as intransigence by the NFLPA’s outside attorney, Jeffrey L. Kessler, on the issue of full salaries being paid for a shortened season, according to people familiar with the discussions. Still, multiple people with knowledge of the negotiations said they’re hopeful that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith ultimately will find a middle ground given how high the stakes are.

The NFL and NFLPA resolved health and safety issues but have not resolved the economic issues. Players have begun to report to training camps to undergo coronavirus testing but have not been permitted to enter training facilities under the league’s protocols. For most teams, veteran players are due to report Tuesday. Under the protocols, a player cannot enter a team’s facility until the fifth day after reporting to camp, following negative coronavirus tests taken on Days 1 and 4.

It’s not clear how the NFLPA would react to training camps being halted. The collective bargaining agreement between the league and union contains a no-lockout, no-strike provision. But union leaders said last week it’s the league’s prerogative to determine when training camps will open. The NFL agreed to eliminate the preseason as the NFLPA sought. But the two sides have not agreed on a training camp structure, in terms of how many days will be devoted to an acclimation period before full-speed practices begin.

The CBA also determines players’ pay as a percentage of league revenue under the salary cap system. But the pandemic has led the two sides to negotiate over the economic issues. The NFLPA wants to “borrow” from future salary caps for the 2022 season and beyond to alleviate a prospective significant drop in the 2021 cap. But the league made proposals that would affect players’ pay this season, including one that would place a portion of that 2020 pay into escrow until this season’s revenue decline could be calculated. That would allow a corresponding payment schedule to be determined for the escrow funds.

The NFLPA previously told agents that league revenue could decline by $3 billion this season if games are played entirely without fans.

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