After ballots were sent to players for the proposed CBA, Todd Gurley quickly voiced his opinion on the matter. He urged his fellow players to vote no to the owners’ proposal, which calls for a 17-game season, a larger playoff field and an increased revenue share for players, among other changes.
Gurley spoke to Rich Hammond of The Athletic about the proposed CBA and made it clear that he’s strongly opposed to a 17-game season.
“There’s just no point. The guys — half of the league can’t even play 16 games. What, you think guys can play 17 games? Then you take out two bye-week (playoff) teams and just have one bye-week team and add an extra playoff game,” Gurley said. “There’s a lot of pros and a lot of cons. There’s just nothing on that list (of pros) to where I would be like we really, really need that. Like, we need more. We need to push for more, and the only way to do it is to just try to stand firm and get something done.”
Part of the reason Gurley doesn’t want to see a 17-game season put in place is 10 years from now when the CBA expires, it gives the owners leverage in pursuit of an 18-game season, which is reportedly the ultimate goal.
He also doesn’t want to settle for a deal out of fear of a lockout because a year ago, the proposal wasn’t as beneficial for the players as it is now.
“Anything you do in business, as far as negotiation-wise — obviously the deal is a little better than it was the previous year, but that’s part of negotiation,” he added. “Everyone knows, who has ever been in a negotiation, that you almost have to not get anything done, to get something done. There’s got to be some pushing and you’ve got to be firm and thorough. I just feel like it only comes around every 10 years, so it’s like don’t settle. Just don’t settle. Then I don’t want them to feel, 10 years later, that they can add an 18th game. Then those guys, the younger guys, would look back like, ‘Well, Todd and those guys did it, and those are smart guys. (Richard) Sherman, those are smart guys …’ It’s not even about us.”
Gurley signed a four-year, $57.5 million contract in 2018. That contract will kick in this season, paying him an average of $14.4 million per year through 2023. He admits the fact that he signed a second contract makes it “easy for me to sit here and say no,” but he’s looking at the “bigger whole.”
He wants a good deal for his peers who will be around for the end of this CBA, and for those who will need to sign off on the next one in 10 years.
“It’s just been going on for too long. We need to get something done. We can come together. We just need everyone to know that and believe that,” he added. “Everyone is going to have their own personal opinion, which is fine. I just feel like we’ve got to stick together and let the PA (Players Association) do their job.”
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