The NFL and NFL Players Association might already have a 2021 problem.
NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith discussed the league’s current collective bargaining agreement, which is over in 2021, during an interview with MMQB.com’s Albert Breer on Thursday. And football fans probably won’t find his answer very reassuring.
“I think that the likelihood of either a strike or a lockout is almost a virtual certainty,” he said, as transcribed by ESPN.com.
That big news comes after Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott’s six-game suspension, which the NFLPA is appealing, for alleged domestic violence. The league and union don’t appear to be on the best of terms, either, as they both publicly called out the other side following the Elliott decision.
Of course, the league had a lockout in 2011, but that was resolved before the games began. So, will there be missed games once this CBA is up?
“I don’t know now, but I mean, let’s look at our history,” Smith said. “The owners do a deal in 2006 and opt out in 2008. We do a deal in 2011 with no opt-outs because we like the benefits under the current deal and we didn’t want to give the owners an opportunity to opt out and take back the gains that we currently have.
“If there is no renegotiation of the collective bargaining agreement and we reach 2021, there is no uncapped year, right? Because the last time we went through it, we found out the owners lied and cheated about the uncapped year. So why would I do that again?”
So, enjoy NFL football for the next few years, because it’s anyone’s guess what will happen in 2021.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
