Report: NFL Players Seeking to Negotiate Opt-out Clauses, $250K Stipends

The NFL and the NFL Players Association are reportedly negotiating various opt-out clauses and guaranteed stipends for a 2020 season that figures to have plenty of uncertainty amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported the news, noting players proposed a number of items to the league. One of them is a guaranteed $250,000 stipend for any player who arrives at camp if things are shut down because of the pandemic.  

That guarantee would go to $500,000 if the season begins and is shut down before ending. 

What's more, players proposed an opt-out clause for at-risk players to still receive their salary if they do not play, an opt-out clause for those with at-risk families to still earn an accrued season and benefits even if they don't play and an opt-out clause for those who leave their teams after reporting.

Fowler noted both sides are still working through a number of issues, including the fact players want testing every day and zero preseason games compared to the league's request for less frequent testing and two preseason games.

In terms of the opt-out clauses, what exactly classifies as "at-risk" is still being discussed.

The league sent out a memo on June 7 that listed the following as possible factors that would make someone high-risk: African American, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, a BMI greater than or equal to 28, sleep apnea, hypertension, altered immunity, diabetes and cardiac disease.

This has been an unusual offseason for the NFL as it works toward potentially having a season.

The most drastic change was canceling all in-person activities around the NFL draft, which was originally scheduled to take place in Las Vegas. The draft was held remotely and largely went without a hitch even though team personnel were unable to conduct as many in-person meetings with prospects and free agents because of travel restrictions.

To this point, the regular-season schedule remains intact without any changes.

That stands in stark contrast to other major sports leagues across the country, including the NBA, MLB, NHL and MLS, which all had to suspend their current seasons in March when the severity of the pandemic first started to become clear.

There are still multiple things to work through for the league and its players, but as Fowler pointed out, "Both sides want camp and want to play, so the goal is to get there and survive the probable initial wave of positive tests, then manage expectations from there."