Today, a 25-page PDF summary pending agreement NFLPA reviewed with player reps, pre-owners `final’ document was released by Chris Mortnsen via @mortreport on Twitter.
It is very difficult to read in it’s PDF form, so I have transcribed it in it’s entirety for your viewing pleasure.
2011 Deal Summary of Main Terms (Bracketed Items are open)
Players Share Of Revenues:
– “All Revenues” (AR) included in cap calculations with limited deductions
– 1.5% Stadium Credit to encourage new stadiums and renovations resulting in significant increases in new revenues being included in AR
Players percentage of AR
– Players’ share of Revenue calculated as follows:
55% of League Media (TV, Radio etc)
45% of NFL Ventures / Post-Season
40% of local Club revenues
-Upper Band of 48% (2012-2014) & 48.5% (2015-2020)
– Lower Band of 47%
– After applying the 1.5% Stadium Credit, lower Band cannot be below 47% (2012-2014), 46.5% (2015-2016), 46% (2017-2020)
– Guarantee of 47% over the life of the Agreement
– True up to actual revenues each year
Minimum Spend Requirements
– Guaranteed League-Wide Cash Spend of 99% of the Salary Cap in 2011-2012
– Guaranteed League-Wide Cash Spend of 95% of the Salary Cap in 2013-2016 and 2017-2010 four year periods
– (Minimum Team Cash Spend – 89% of Cap in 2013-2016 and 2017-2020 on a four year average)
2011 Cap – Transition
– Salary Cap set at 120.375M with $22.025M in benefits for 2011-$3M in additional cap room per club in 2011 (at club option) created by designating up to three players per club with 5 or more Accrued seasons and salary of up to $1M (same rule for 2012, but for a total of $1.5M in extra room created from three players with at least $500k in salary)
– No performance based pay in 2011, with money instead devoted to cap room
– (Workout Bonuses paid if player reports to training camp and performs the services required of him in preseason training camp. Club can’t cut player to avoid paying.)
– Roster & option bonuses which were to be earned during the period of the lockout, amended to 2nd day of the 2011 league Year (e.g. roster bonus to be earned on March 15th, amended to be earned on the 2nd day of the 2011 league year)
Rookie Compensation
– Overall limit on rookie compensation of $874M in 2011, increasing with cap
– First year rookie compensation of $159M in 2011, increasing with cap
– Mandatory contract length
— 4 years (plus a 5th year club option for Round 1)
— 4 years for Rounds 2 to 7
— 3 years for undrafted rookies
– Proven Performance Escalator for rounds 3-7 in the fourth year based on 35% play time in two of the first three seasons or an average of 35% over three years
– (Escalator increases 4th year salary to the ROFR amount which is $1.2M in 2011 but increases with the Salary Cap)
– 5th year club option for 1st rounder to be exercised after the player’s 3rd season, guaranteed for injury when exercised and for skill & injury if on the roster at the start of the 5th year:
— Picks 1 to 10 – Salary of the average of the top ten players at player’s position
— Picks 11 to 32 – Salary of the average of the top 3rd through 25th players at player’s position
– As a quarterback, the 1st pick in the 2011 Draft may earn $22.03M over four years, plus an option year salary of $14.3M (assuming a 5% growth rate) in his 5th year if exercised for a total of $36.33M over 5 years
– No limit on the amount of guaranteed money a player may contract for with his allocation, except guarantees can’t skip years
– Savings from change in Rookie compensation system calculated to be $25M for 2012, $50M for 2013, $100M in 2014, and increasing each year thereafter with the Year One Rookie Compensation pool
– Savings to be spent on Legacy fund, veteran performance pool or any other purpose the NFLPA may deem appropriate
Offseason Workout
– Limited to 9 weeks
– Three Phases
— Phase 1: Two weeks; limited to strength and conditioning activities (“dead ball”); only strength and conditioning coaches allowed on the field
— Phase 2: Three Weeks; individual and “perfect play” drills allowed (no offense vs defense); all coaches allowed on the field
— Phase 3: Four Weeks; 10 OTA’s; maximum of three OTA’s for the first two weeks; maximum of 4 OTA’s for the 3rd or 4th week of camp, with the other week being the minicamp
– Fines for violations (in addition to week of lost workouts):
– Coaches – $100k for 1st violation, $250k for 2nd
– Clubs – $250k for 1st violation, $500k for 2nd
Minicamp
– Physicals on Monday. but not practice; practices Tuesday-Thursday; day off
– Maximum of 3 1/2 hours on the field per day
— One practice per day up to 2 1/2 hours
– Second practice limited to walk through activities only
Preseason
– Mandatory veteran reporting date no earlier than (15) days prior to the first game
– 1st day limited to physicals and meetings
– 2nd and 3rd day no pads or contact
– Only one padded practice per day limited to three hours with the second practice up to the 4 hour limit being a walk through
Regular / Postseason
– Limit of 14 total padded practices during the Regular season, 11 of which must be held during the first 11 weeks (club may hold 2 padded practices during only one week) with the remaining 3 during the final 6 weeks
– One padded practice per week in postseason
– Padded practices limited to three hours
– Bye Weeks – (five) consecutive days off
Forfeiture Provisions
– League wide rules regarding maximum forfeiture provisions for signing, roster, report, and option bonuses
– Forfeiture limited and generally proportionate to games missed due to breach (eg missing training camp for six days would result in forfeiture of 15% of player’s prorated bonus, with 1% per day after that up to 25%; regular season – 25% for missing first game, 1/17th each game after that; higher forfeiture if separate, multiple breaches)
Injury Guarantees / Workers Comp
– (Salary guaranteed for injury up to $3M per year for the 2nd and third years of the player contract for that player after the injury).
– (Continue time-limited credit for any Salary paid to a player against any workers compensation benefits paid to a player. Allow players to file in any state that would provide them benefits (eg California)
Minimum Salaries – increased $55k from 2010
Dispute Resolution
– System Arbitrator for AR, Salary Cap and free agency issues selected by the parties
– Appeals to a 3-member appeals panel, including at least one former judge.
– 3-year statute of limitations
Legacy Fund
– $620M to be paid to former players during the term of the agreement
– 51% to be paid by the NFL outside of the cap
– 49% to be paid out of the players share of AR
Length of Agreement / Rights on Termination
– (Ten Years through the 2020 Season with an opt out after _ years)
– (2021 draft; end of deal rights)
Other open issues
– (Payment of $320M in damages for lost benefits in the 2010 season/settlement of the TV contracts case)
– (Settlement of Brady case – Antitrust settlement vs. CBA)
– (Player may only be designated a Franchise player one time)
– (Short term injured reserve/47 player Active/Inactive list)
League Demands Rejected
– No massive pay cut – NFL initially demanded 20% cut in player share
– No sharing in future revenue growth
– No 18 games
– No rookie & veteran wage scale
– Restricting players with 4 and 5 Accrued Season in 2011 who otherwise would be unrestricted
– Broad forfeiture of bonuses already earned
this is a copy of the proposal, not an agreement. I have transcribed at to be 100% accurate to the best of my knowledge. If anyone finds an error, please post a comment below, or message me on Twitter @TheHogsdotNet.