AP Sources: NFL Owners Offer Opt-Out Guidelines For Players
Jul 24, 2020, 2:11 PM
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft waves to passing cars at the "Soup-R Bowl" at Gillette Stadium on May 08, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Patriots Foundation and Massachusetts Military Support Foundation worked in partnership to provide meals to 1000 military families suffering from food insecurity. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
AP – The NFL has offered opt-out guidelines to players who do not want to participate in the upcoming season due to the coronavirus, two people with knowledge of the offer told The Associated Press on Friday.
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Players who decide they want to opt out have until Aug. 3 to do so, and they will receive a stipend from the owners, the people said on condition of anonymity because the offer has not been made public.
The amount of the stipend has not been made available.
The players’ union negotiators have agreed to the plan, with the NFLPA executive committee voting unanimously in favor. But the 32 team player representatives must vote on it, one person said.
From NFL Now with breaking news: The NFL and NFLPA are in agreement on a deal to handle the pandemic and start camp on time… with just the NFLPA player reps approval pending. pic.twitter.com/eSzwIjLlIg
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 24, 2020
Should the plan be approved, it would eliminate one major obstacle to a full opening of training camps next week. Already, the sides have agreed to cancel all preseason games, as well as to a reduction in the number of roster spots in training camp from 90 to 80. The league also offered an extended acclimation period of 18 days for players, given that the coronavirus caused the cancellation of all offseason on-field activities at team facilities.
Economic issues remain a key talking point. Those discussions center on how to handle revenue losses that would result from games played without fans or even canceled games due to COVID-19.
