The NFL Players’ Association and the league have met a lot recently. Said meetings have been an in attempt to come to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement ahead of the 2019 season.
There’s a lot riding on these conversations with the current CBA set to expire after the 2020 campaign. Unfortunately, it does not look like any breakthroughs are being made.
“No breakthroughs yet and a deal remains unlikely before the season, I’m told. But they’ve covered a wide range of topics, there was progress on secondary issues yesterday and talks have been generally positive,” NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero reported on Tuesday. “Both sides committed to keep talking and have dates tentatively set.”
This shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. There’s still a lot to sift through. Primarily, players are looking at more guaranteed money. The league’s policy against marijuana as a pain-killing alternative is also among the issues.
The current CBA was signed back in 2011 after a brief work stoppage. While things generally seem to be positive, the NFLPA seems to be sending signs that another work stoppage could be looming.
Short of a deal being reached before September, this could be a major cloud hanging over the 2019 season.