It Sure Sounds Like the NFL and NFLPA Are Going to Get in a Revenue Battle Soon
By Michael Luciano
The NFL is going to have some major financial issues due to a reduced amount of fans in the stands amid the coronavirus pandemic, and they might get themselves in another battle with the NFLPA because of it.
One league source, according to ESPN's Dan Graziano, claims that the league and the players will need to figure out how to "share the pain" as the NFL could miss out on almost one-third of their expected revenue without fans in the stands.
The NFL's looming money fight between owners and players will be different from baseball's in critical ways, but it's coming: https://t.co/FXWmv6XtFw
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) June 3, 2020
One potential way that the league's financial troubles can manifest is in the salary cap, which could be reduced by almost $20 million in 2021.
While the CBA mandates that the players' split of revenue can't fall below 47% in 2020 and 48% in 2021 and beyond, you just know that Goodell and the league will try to minimize the impact on the owners' bottom line as much as possible, and trying to leak that number isn't out of the realm of possibility.
One thing I learned in reporting this story, with the help of @EpKap , is that NFL owners are already watching their spending. Only two first-round draft picks have signed. By this time last year, 20 had. On average the last five years, the number is 19.4.
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) June 3, 2020
Just when it seemed like the NFL and the union had finally put down the pitchforks and had 10 years of labor peace set up via the new CBA, the coronavirus could threaten to reduce the salary cap and send the league's financials out of whack.