The NFL is more than a year away from potentially losing any time playing games as the current CBA runs into the 2020 season, but the latest collective bargaining agreement is coming into the spotlight.
The latest CBA proposal from owners includes an added 17th game, only three preseason games, moving practice squad size from 10 to 14, increasing the minimum salaries by $100,000, and adding another playoff team in each conference, among other improved benefits for players.
It’s been met by some player reps with negative feedback such as Aaron Rodgers and JJ Watt. But some are now starting to explain why they’ve voted yes in a recent NFLPA Board of Player Representatives meeting and the Bills’ player rep, fullback Patrick DiMarco is among them.
Speaking to WGR-550 radio, DiMarco explained that the overlying factor in him voting yes was a 17th game not really being a big deal to him and most players on the grand scheme of things.
“There’s a lot of good things in this CBA. It’s not perfect, nobody really wants to play another game, but if we can make it work, we’re going to make it work,” DiMarco said.
“Having played nine years now [in the NFL], [an added 17th game] is another half season for me. Which, that part of it, does really sound great, but with the average guys career in the NFL being just under three seasons… if the guys are only playing two extra games, three extra games, four or five extra games through their career and they’re getting a bunch more money in their pockets, I think we can make that work,” DiMarco added .
With that career-length discrepancy in mind, DiMarco is taking a democratic approach to his “yes” vote as well.
“I was one of the guys (player reps) that wanted to get it in front of my locker room. I wanted my 53, 63 guys to have a chance to read over it and accept it or deny it,” DiMarco said. “I thought it was fair to get this in our guy’s hands.”
Overall, the NFL player reps voted 17-14-1 in favor of the CBA proposal being moved into a “full vote” to have all players look at the proposal and then have their player reps cast a final vote. That full proposal will be presented to all players eventually and then the final vote will be cast. To pass, players need a simple majority vote. There’s no timetable just yet though, so right now we’ll hear and update on this topic in the coming weeks.
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