Compensation

The players are already trying to push off a 17-game season until 2023 according to reports. The reason is simple. There are contracts that are running until 2022 and 2023 and players aren’t going to get their deals suddenly changed because the league is creating an extra game. A contract is a contract.

Right now, players are paid out each week of the season in a game check. That game check would be slightly lower for each game to make up for the extra game check. If the players are able to hold off the 17-game season until then, players can negotiate for a 17-game contract versus a 16-game contract.

There are some answers to the problem, but none of them are easy. Owners could offer to take a player’s contract and increase their game checks by one more game. That’s not going to happen. Owners are not in the business of giving away money. The only other option is to delay the deal like the players want, but there’s a problem there as well.