Multiple NFL owners participating in Monday's negotiating session with the NFLPA "pushed for" losses due to the pandemic "to be absorbed in 2020 and 2021, with salary givebacks applying this year and a reduced salary cap next year," according to a source cited by Mike Florio of NBCSPORTS.com. Players, however, want the losses "pushed out over more years." Florio wrote today's players "should want it to be pushed out to the future, because taking the hit now will hit them in the wallet, either by taking away a chunk of their pay in 2020 and/or 2021 -- or all of it" (NBCSPORTS.com, 7/15). In Boston, Ben Volin writes managing a possible salary cap hit is the "biggest issue to resolve between players and owners." Reducing the salary cap by $10M per year over the next seven years would "smooth out the sting and allow teams to continue to acquire players as usual." The NFL "may fight it as a negotiating ploy, but smoothing out the cap loss benefits the owners as much as the players." A related argument "won't be so amicable: How much will players get paid if the NFL starts the season but doesn't play 16 games?" Quietly, the "most important issue: Will a positive COVID-19 test be considered a football or non-football injury?" One thing that "won't happen is a player strike to start the season" (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/16).
UNION ANNOUNCES TEST NUMBERS: The NFLPA said that 72 players leaguewide have tested positive for COVID-19, as of July 10. If every team brought a full 90-man contingent to camp, that would be 2.5% of all players (Ben Fischer, THE DAILY)
STILL WORK TO DO: ESPN’s Dan Graziano said the NFLPA is "hoping that they can eliminate the remaining preseason games, that they can get the NFL to test them every day as opposed to every other day, and there are a couple of other things they’re working through in terms of what the opt-out procedures are if you have a medical condition and you can’t play." A lot of details "have to be worked out around the COVID protocols, especially considering we’re 12 days away from the start of training camp for most teams.” Graziano: “It’s possible if they’re still held up in negotiations with the players that they come out of tomorrow’s call and say we need a little more time before training camp starts" (“Golic & Wingo,” ESPN Radio, 7/16).
TEXANS STILL ON SCHEDULE: In Houston, Brian Smith notes Texans rookies are still scheduled “to report Saturday to NRG Stadium” and he wonders why it is taking the NFL so long “to announce its new master plan” regarding training camp. Smith: “I don't know how the NFL is going to pull off training camp and the full regular season running as scheduled. And I don't know how the NFL can get this close to rookies reporting with so much still uncertain. … It's past time for the NFL to protect the employees, franchises and cities that make the league what it is” (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 7/16).
