Here are the biggest takeaways from the NFL’s proposed pandemic CBA

The NFL’s most recent proposal includes significant salary cuts to players whether the season happens or not.

More details have steadily come to light about the NFL’s proposed collective bargaining agreement  (CBA) for the upcoming season, and after the debacle with the MLB and MLBPA, all anyone can hope for is a smooth negotiation process. However, there a still several key questions with salaries and opt-out options remain.

The biggest source of debate is the lack of a force majeure clause in the agreement.

A force majeure clause frees both parties in an agreement from liability in the event of an extraordinary circumstance, and a global pandemic is pretty much the definition of an extraordinary circumstance. Without one, the NFL will be required to continue paying players even if the season is canceled, so they’re currently trying to incorporate the elements of a clause into the proposed agreement.

Under the most recent CBA proposal from the league, players would keep all bonuses earned before the season was canceled including signing, roster, and/or workout bonuses. However, they would only be paid their base salary, per-game roster bonuses or per-game payments — including guaranteed money — if regular-season games are actually played. If the teams only make it into training camp, rostered players will receive a maximum stipend of $250,000, and practice squad athletes will be given $100,000.

It’s also notable the NFL’s proposal includes a $40 million cut to each team’s salary cap because of anticipated lost revenue this season. That would lead to fairly drastic cuts to players’ salaries even if every single game is played.

According to the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the NFLPA opposes this plan and intends to counter with a proposal that will spread out smaller salary reductions over a longer period of time. This is one area where they’re almost certain to reach a deal though, because each year’s salary cap is based on the previous year’s budget, so failure to come to an agreement would mean a disastrous cut in 2021.

The league has also released the details of opt-out options for players and safety protocols for COVID-19 testing. The biggest change is much more flexibility with injured reserve rules. Teams will be able to place an unlimited number of athletes on injured reserve for any injuries or illnesses, not just those that are football related, for three weeks. Players who test positive for COVID-19 are able to return to the roster before three weeks have elapsed via a “Commissioner’s Exempt” list.

While the salary cuts are definitely a concern on the players’ side, the league’s CBA proposal seems far more reasonable compared to the inane agreements that the MLB tried to push onto its players. Plus, if all goes well, we won’t need to worried about cancelation contingencies and we’ll actually get to watch the full football season we all need right now.