Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reports that a number of NFL owners are actually hoping that the current CBA proposal doesn’t pass next week because they think they could negotiate an even better deal that could possibly include an 18-game season in the future.
“They think they can get a better deal next year,” a source tells Fowler. “They feel they gave up too much on the economics.”
According to Fowler, some owners told commissioner Roger Goodell this at an owner’s meeting in New York in February and expressed frustration with the players’ monetary increases and the increase of active rosters as part of the current CBA offer.
Fowler mentions that a “handful” of owners want an 18-game season eventually and it’s something that could come up in future negotiations, depending on what happens with the player’s vote.
NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith has previously said he can’t see an 18-game schedule ever being a serious option.
“I don’t see an 18-game schedule — under any circumstance — being in the best interest of our players,” Smith said last year. “If somebody wants to make an 18-game proposal, we’ll look at it. I haven’t seen anything that makes me think that it would be good for the players.”
The players are currently split on the latest proposal that’s being voted on, due in large part to the inclusion of a 17th game. There are other issues as well from the player’s standpoint, but there appears to be enough support where it still has a chance of passing next week.
Should the current proposal get voted down next week, the NFLPA will have a new president for the next round of negotiations.
We’ll have more regarding the CBA as the news is available.
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