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On Wednesday, news broke that the NFL was trimming the 2020 preseason down to just two games.
However, the NFLPA may not want to play any preseason games at all, according to the NFL Network.
Second part of the report on the preseason from @NFLTotalAccess: The NFLPA has been vocal about the health and safety of their players, and not just publicly. The union will continue to discuss whether it's safe to play any preseason games. pic.twitter.com/ZVcBW28hfy
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) July 1, 2020
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio also touched on the subject, as the length of preseason games will be just one part of a bargaining session on how the 2020 NFL season will play out.
Basically, only a few months after labor and management worked out a comprehensive labor deal that covers the next 11 years, they’ll be back at the table, hammering out an agreement that will cover all procedures and protocols for 2020, including the number of preseason games, the possibility of game-day travel, adjustments if any to the salary cap and player salaries, a player’s ability to opt out, and many, many more. The agreement also may spill into 2021 and beyond, with salary-cap ramifications arising from the pandemic being handled now, not later.
It’s unclear if the NFLPA is serious about not having a preseason or is just using it as a bargaining chip to ask for more from the NFL when it comes to the other issues Florio noted.
While there will certainly be risks with any kind of games in 2020, NFL players need preseason games to get tuned up for the regular season. If they can’t even get in two preseason games, then the NFL probably shouldn’t let the regular season start on time in September.
Whatever the case may be, it sounds like we’ll get a final word on the preseason very soon.