NFL owners and players are discussing the CBA (collective bargaining agreement) proposal, which will definitely change the entire league if voted affirmatively. Nonetheless, the players have already voiced their concerns regarding the matter.

The truth is, a lot of players have already opposed the said proposal.

Russell Wilson blatantly voted no through a tweet, telling the world that players must come first. He also said, “We should not rush the next ten years for today’s satisfaction.”

Aaron Rodgers also took to Twitter his sentiment. He opposed the CBA proposal saying that an expanded schedule and offseason programs. Rodgers advocates for the “value of the players.”

What the NFL CBA proposal entails?

Full details of the CBA proposal have not been disclosed. However, these are what the people already know.

• The regular season will now have 17 games
• Players will receive 48 to 48.5% of the revenue, or an additional $5 billion
• Playoff setup will have up to 14 teams; the top seed will receive the first-round bye
• Each roster will be expanded from 53 to 55, 48 of them will be dressed for games from the current 46
• The rookies’ minimum salary will increase by up to $100,000
• International games each team will play will be limited
• Training camp will be reduced from 28 to 16
• Sizes of practice squad will be enhanced from 10 to 12 and then 14 
• Free agents will be protected further
• Marijuana penalties will be relaxed

In light of these impending changes, below are some of the most critical changes in NFL history.

1. Draft. Before 1936, teams would outwit each other through bidding wars. It was the only way to sign amateur football players then before the league introduced drafting. The goal was to restore the competitive balance among promising young players.
2. Schedule. There were no set schedules before. Each team needed to find a rival through exhaustive arrangements. They were allowed to play against teams outside of NFL which explained why game results were too varied. The championship was inexistent, and so titles were voted upon by the team owners. Everything changed in 1978 when the regular season was introduced. Each team played for 16 games.
3. Salary cap. The salary cap was introduced in 1994 as a form of an equaliser. It means to succeed in the NFL, a team must do a fantastic coaching job and talent evaluation.
4. International games. The NFL pioneered sending teams to play at the international stage. For instance, in 2013, the NFL signed a deal to host two games per season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
5. AFL merger. The NFL was threatened by a newly formed league called the American Football League, which was more talent base. In 1966, a deal was established between the two associations. It has now 24 teams divided into the AFC and NFC divisions.
6. Super Bowl. The merger also created the Super Bowl Sunday. It is now synonymous with a national holiday, attracting up to 100 million viewers worldwide.
7. Halftime show. However, it was the halftime shows that Michael Jackson helped kick off in 1993 that truly changed the landscape of the Super Bowl as an entertainment spectacle.

Featured Image Source

If given the opportunity, how would you want to change the NFL? Share with us what you’re thinking.

“It’s like a dream. In fact, it couldn’t even be a  dream you wouldn’t believe it.” ~ Dr Oz

The NFL fans have spoken: the Immaculate Reception is the greatest moment in the history of the league.

Great NFL Moments was part of the centennial celebration of the NFL. Nominees are announced in January and voting ended during the Super Bowl weekend.

This gives an opportunity for every fan to relive the proudest moments in NFL across Plays, Games, Characters, Game Changers, and Teams categories.

The question now is: What makes the Immaculate Reception the greatest NFL moment to date?

Before we answer that, let us learn the basics first.

What is reception in football?

A reception happens when the offensive player catches the forward pass from a QB or other players. The ball must be thrown from behind the line of scrimmage. 

Upon catching the reception, the player can advance the ball through running out of bounds or tackling.

What happened during the Immaculate Reception?

Curt Gowdy of NBC can describe what happened then.

You talk about Christmas miracles. Here’s the miracle of all miracles. Watch this one now. Bradshaw is lucky to even get rid of the ball! He shoots it out. Jack Tatum deflects it right into the hands of Harris. And he sets off. And the big 230-pound rookie slipped away from Warren and scored.

There are so many things to know about this moment. Here they go.

1. The play was called Immaculate Reception as a pun, referring to the Roman Catholic Church dogma.
2. It was arguably the most famous play in NFL history mainly for its miraculous nature—thus the name.
3. Pittsburgh sportscaster, Myron Cope, first use the term during a live television report on the team’s surprising victory. The phrase stuck since then.
4. Franco Harris made the Immaculate Reception as he was eluding a tackle by Jimmy Warren. He was running for a touchdown.
5. It happened on December 23, 1972, two days before Christmas, between Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders during an AFC Divisional game.
6. The ball went from Terry Bradshaw to Franco Harris before landing on Jim Baker’s hands, a Steelers fan who was watching the match with Bobby, his nephew.
7. It was a deflected pass that Franco took advantage of, running for the winning touchdown.
8. It was played in front of 50,327 NFL fans at the Three Rivers Stadium.
9. The ball was kept in a safe at a Pittsburgh insurance agency. It has been there for four decades. 
10. The ball was taken out in 1997 to commemorate the play’s 25th anniversary. Franco Harris was there when it happened.
11. The Immaculate Reception became a turning point for Pittsburgh Steelers. They ended the 1970s with four Super Bowl wins.
12. The Steelers were not able to watch the game because it was blacked out. However, videos of the actual play, from at least three angles, survived.
13. John David Tatum claimed that the ball did not touch him. George Atkinson called the play the Immaculate Deception.
14. Immaculate Reception remains an unresolved controversy in the NFL since it should have been an incomplete pass. It was both the greatest play and the most controversial.
15. The play was confusing that it became the first known use of replay to confirm the call. Instant replays are not available then.
16. It began a bitter rivalry between the Raiders and the Steelers that went on to live until today.

Featured Image Source

Given a chance, would you vote for the Immaculate Reception as the greatest moment in NFL or do you have something else in mind? Please let us know.

It’s the free agency signing season once again. It is considered the first phase of the NFL offseason, making it crucial for roster building purposes.

NFL fans wait for this glorious moment in the league, and for sure, you have questions. You can be confused or curious.

NFL Communications has always been well-prepared with answers.

Things to know about NFL free agency

When is the NFL free agency signing period?

The two-day signing period happens in March. This 2020, it will be officially on March 18. However, the teams may negotiate with the free agents or their certified representatives starting on March 16.  

Self-represented players are not permitted to participate in the window.

When an NFL player becomes a free agent?

When the player has played out his contract, which is usually four or five years, he becomes a free agent afterwards. He can be on the open market.

What are the categories of free agents?

Free agents can be restricted or unrestricted free agents. A restricted free agent is eligible for a “qualifying offer.” Either the restricted or unrestricted free agent can be contracted by the last club to be its franchise or transition (tag) player.

Restricted agents 1) have three accrued seasons and 2) received a qualifying offer while unrestricted agents have four or more accrued seasons. Unrestricted free agents have no standing contract, making him free to negotiate and sign with any club.

An accrued season refers to at least six regular-season games. 

How much will the salary cap be?

Indeed, there will be a salary cap of between $196.8 and $201.2 million, which applies to all 32 teams. The clubs can use this cap on acquiring free agents or re-signing current players on free agency.

Unused salary cap space can be carried over to the next season. However, the club needs to notify the NFL. The notification must include information on the amount that the team decides to carry over. With this, a team can carry over 100% of the salary cap space.

Which NFL teams have the highest salary cap space in 2020?

Teams with the biggest salary cap space coming into 2020 NFL offseason include:

• Miami Dolphins ($89.3 million)
• Indianapolis Colts ($86.1 million)
• Buffalo Bills ($80.1 million)
• Tampa Buccaneers ($79.8 million)
• Dallas Cowboys ($77.2 million)
• Denver Broncos ($61.9 million)
• New York Giants ($61.8 million)
• Houston Texans ($55.1 million)
• Las Vegas Raiders ($54.9 million)
• Arizona Cardinals ($53.6 million)

How much is the guaranteed money for the signing free agent?

Guaranteed money depends on three factors: skill, cap, and/or injury. If the money is protected (as outlined in the contract), the agreed amount is fully guaranteed to the player at signing. If money is guaranteed for skill or cap only, then it is partially guaranteed.

• Skill guarantee happens when the club terminated the contracted player if the player does not perform or deliver as expected. This is more so if the reason is that he doesn’t have the required skill set. Nonetheless, he is entitled to the money the skill guarantee protects. 
• Cap guarantee occurs when the contracted player was terminated so the club may sign or re-sign a player so it won’t go over the cap. The player is entitled to the money the cap guarantee protects.
• Injury guarantee applies when the contracted player was released due to an injury that made him unable to perform any football duties. He will receive the sum the injury guarantee protects. 

As such, guaranteed money is only partially guaranteed.

Featured Image Source

For everything NFL and other football stories, subscribe to our mailing list now.