Eight days ago, the NFL and the NFL Players Association hammered out an agreement for the parameters and protocols of pro football in a pandemic. Today, it’s expected that the agreement will be formally signed by both sides.
Per multiple sources, the deal was expected to be done on Friday. It’s now expected to be completed on Saturday. (Why do I have a feeling that, on Sunday, we’ll be hearing it’s “expected” to be done today?)
As the delay has demonstrated, it’s a complicated process. The two sides basically are hammering out a completely new Collective Bargaining Agreement, one that takes into account the dramatically changed circumstances and the unique challenges of playing in 2020, and of dealing with the financial losses resulting from games without fans present.
Whenever the revised CBA is finalized, players will have seven days to opt out of the 2020 season. As of now, the earliest date for the in-or-out decision will be Saturday, August 8. That will give players more time to gather information before making a decision that will be irrevocable.