The question of whether the NFL made any concessions during Tuesday’s meeting with the NFL Players Association may hinge on the preferred pronunciation of the word tomato.
Some say the league made no significant concessions. Others say the league removed the $250,000 cap on the salary to be paid to players for a 17th game.
The cap wasn’t as firm as initially suggested. Peter King explained in his latest Football Morning in America column that players affected by the limit (i.e., players with salaries of more than $4.25 million per year) can negotiate a number higher than $250,000 for the extra game. The change made by the league on Tuesday removes the necessity to negotiate a higher salary.
Ultimately, the change has no impact on the manner in which the money is divided between the league and the players. This specific tweak directs more money to players who make more than $4.25 million per year, leaving less money for other players on a given roster under the salary cap.
That would explain why none of the changes made on Tuesday require a fresh vote of the owners. Which means no material change was made to the deal.