NFL CBA Proposal and More: 7 Notable Changes in the NFL

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.

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