Todd Gurley has bad news for NFL fans

The NFL continues to lag behind other professional leagues in terms of guaranteed contracts. Todd Gurley wants his peers to act to change things.

If Todd Gurley gets his way, the NFL is going to face an ugly conflict with its players in the near future.

In an effort to get more guaranteed money as a part of player contracts, the Rams running back is openly advocating for a lockout — which would actually be a strike if the players initiate it — once the current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires.

Specifically, Gurley seems to be irritated at the amount of guaranteed money NBA players have received this summer. He told TMZ reporters that fans should look for a “lockout in a couple of years.”

Gurley’s comments echoed those of Bills linebacker Lorenzo Alexander earlier in the day. Alexander is pushing for players to accept shorter contracts in an effort to assume more guaranteed money.

Any fans who don’t see this as a pressing issue for the players are sticking their heads in the sand. NFL players routinely put their bodies at risk to play the game. As such, the injury rate in the NFL significantly outpaces that for any other league.

That, in large part, is why NFL owners don’t want to offer contracts with millions in guarantees.

From the player’s perspective, this is completely unfair. They realize the strain they put on their bodies better than anyone else. It’s only logical for them to push for the maximum amount of guaranteed compensation for their efforts.

The good news for NFL fans is that the current CBA won’t allow the players to engage in a strike until 2021. That gives everyone involved plenty of time to work this issue out before it reaches a crisis level.

Yes, there’s a lot of money at stake for both sides, but a work stoppage isn’t good for business.

Don’t expect a swift resolution though. The owners aren’t going to make any move to amend the current CBA without receiving significant concessions from the players.

That would almost certainly require the player’s union to give a meaningful piece of revenue back to the owners. For obvious reasons, that isn’t going to happen without a fight.

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NFL fans need to enjoy the product on the field while they still can. The threat of a significant work stoppage is looming on the horizon.