The NFL and National Football League Players’ Association have been talking throughout the entire offseason in hopes of hammering out a new collective bargaining agreement ahead of the 2019 regular season.
That’s not going to happen. According to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero, the two sides have tabled talks for the time being. This means that no deal will be struck before Week 1.
While there’s not a ton of pressure to get a deal done now, this has to be considered less than great news. The current CBA expires following the 2020 season.
Remember, the last time these two sides were dug in when it comes to talks the NFL had a brief work stoppage back in 2011.
Pelissero goes on to note that the biggest holdup on talks is that NFL owners continue to want more regular-season games. Meanwhile, the players want a larger share of the revenue without adding any more games.
There are also other issues to be settled, including the NFL’s marijuana policy and more guaranteed pay for players.
The good news here is that both sides are open to a shortened preseason with a potentially expanded playoff slate.